Coronavirus has forever changed the way people live, from the way we run errands to the way and where we work. And while many of these changes have not been well received, the silver lining is that coronavirus is actually what finally gets rid of a common household problem: bed bugs.
Bed bugs are everywhere from private homes to retail stores to five-star hotels. According to the National Pest Management Association’s “Bugs Without Borders” report, 97 percent of pest specialists treated a bed bug case in the past year, with summer usually being the busiest time of the year. Unfortunately, getting rid of them doesn’t come cheap. It can cost up to $ 5,000 to treat an entire home for bed bugs, according to HomeAdvisor. With many states banning indoor gatherings and avoiding hotels due to coronavirus, the risk of accidentally picking up bed bugs and bringing them home has dropped dramatically.
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According to a certified entomologist Natasha Wright This is a unique opportunity for businesses to thoroughly resolve their existing bed bug problems – including using treatments that are not safe to use while hosting guests.
“Professional treatment is required to effectively eradicate these pests and may consist of insecticide applications, heat remediation, or a combination of both, depending on the severity and extent of the infestation,” said Wright. “As this means that the rooms to be treated will be taken out of service for a certain period of time, this is a good time to achieve this due to the low occupancy during the pandemic.”
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COVID-19 has also given the company the opportunity to make necessary repairs to rooms that make it difficult for bed bugs to go undetected.
“While the rooms are empty for long periods of time, maintenance teams can repair cracks and crevices or plug openings that could potentially be used by bed bugs as hiding spots or port points,” he says Chad Gore, Entomologist and Market Technical Director for Western Exterminator.
While Gore notes that bed bugs can live up to a year without feeding, he says the lack of human blood currently available to them may reveal a critical weakness.
“Lack of access to a food source will put a strain on the population, which generally makes them more vulnerable when exposed to insecticides,” he explains. And if you’re wondering how your travel plans could be different after the pandemic, check out these 8 things you may never see in hotel rooms again.
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