Nothing can ruin a trip faster than finding evidence of bed bugs in your hotel room. That's why it's so important for hotels, motels, hostels and bed and breakfasts to do everything they can to prevent a bed bug infestation from taking hold. From thorough cleaning and inspection routines to reliable pest control services, the key to preventing bed bugs is all about diligence.

Reputation is everything for businesses in the hospitality industry and reliable pest control is a proven way to provide value for your guests. If you own or manage any type of lodging, here's what you can do to help ensure bed bugs don't check in and refuse to leave.

Bed Bug Educated Staff

From knowing how to identify bed bugs and signs of their presence to understanding their behavior, education is the key to ensuring no bed bug goes unnoticed. Every employee from the front desk concierge to the housekeeping staff should have training in bed bug protocol. While cleaning crews may be the most likely to notice an issue, customer service employees should also know exactly what to do if guests complain about bed bugs in their room.

It's also important to understand how bed bugs may have arrived in the first place. Bed bugs are silent hitchhikers—that means they can travel on clothing, handbags, luggage, and any other item your guests could be bringing in from elsewhere.

A Clear Bed Bug Action Plan

Since prompt, decisive action is the best approach to dealing with a bed bug issue, having a plan in place can help ensure no time is wasted. Communicate this plan to your staff so they'll feel confident in reporting issues, no matter how big or small. Your bed bug plan should include:

  • Notifying management
  • Making every effort to relocate guests in affected rooms
  • Documenting signs of bed bugs (i.e. where and when bugs were observed, any visible stains or eggs on bedding and furniture)
  • Quarantining rooms that may be affected, including the rooms that guests were moved to.
  • Calling in a pest control professional to assess the issue and recommend a treatment strategy

Bed bugs can be a persistent issue, and because your reputation is at stake, DIY solutions are not ideal. They can prolong the infestation and allow it to spread, making it more costly and time consuming to fix. Instead, trust a pest control professional who can help solve a bed bug infestation efficiently and get your operations back to normal as soon as possible.

Realistic Bed Bug Prevention

Given the nature of bed bugs, it's impossible to keep them out of a hotel 100% of the time. Instead of worrying about bed bugs entering, focus on catching them early and dealing with them swiftly. Here are some of the main areas to focus on to help prevent a bed bug or two from turning into an infestation:

  • Remove and wash bedding after every guest: While changing bedding, housekeeping staff should keep an eye out for things like bed bugs, bed bug feces (which looks like ink stains on fabric), and small specks of blood on the bedding. These are tell-tale signs of bed bugs.
  • Inspect the beds thoroughly: After the bedding has been removed, it's the perfect time to check around the seams on the mattress and box spring for signs of bed bugs such as those mentioned above. It's also recommended to use white mattresses and box springs to make it easier to discover bed bug evidence.
  • Check other furniture: Bed bugs don't stick to just beds. They may be in headboards, armchairs, couches and even desk chairs as well.
  • Check closets: Bed bugs hitchhike into hotels on guests' clothes and luggage, which may be stashed in the closet.

Worried about pests sneaking past the concierge?Learn more about our bed bug control services

Related: How to Train Hotel Staff to Identify Pest Problems

Even the most thorough, diligent prevention strategies can't keep every single bed bug out of a hotel. That's why it's important to have someone to call the second you suspect a bed bug problem. The longer you wait, the worse it will get and that will hurt your reputation, staff and bottom line.

Hospitality managers who take bed bugs seriously will have the most success in preventing an infestation and keeping their establishment protected from pests in the long term. In addition to having staff on high alert for signs of bed bugs, it can also help to schedule regular inspections and bed bug monitoring services for a peace of mind.

Not only does Terminix know how to provide discreet, reliable pest control services for bed bugs, but we can also provide advice and guidance on best practices that will decrease the risk of bed bugs in your hospitality business. Get in touch to request an estimate or schedule a consultation.

 

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