Whenever anyone in the hotel industry talks about mattresses, it is almost certain that the conversation will eventually turn to bed bugs. A perennial problem in the hotel industry, bed bugs can disrupt business and quickly impact a hotel’s reputation. While hoteliers never like to think of the possibility of an infestation, they should always be prepared and ready to jump into action at the first sign of trouble. Housekeeping staff should be trained to spot signs of an infestation, and must be vigilant when cleaning guestrooms, especially when changing sheets.
If a hotel is facing an infestation, they have no choice but to consult an exterminator, Shane Dutka, founder of Pest Strategies, an online pest control resource, says. “Bed bug removal is a very delicate procedure only made worse by the fact that hotels make it very easy for bed bugs to spread quickly onto new hosts in adjacent rooms. If a guest brings bed bugs into a hotel and doesn’t leave with them, the bed bugs will begin looking for a new host somewhere else,” he explains.
Dutka notes that pest control companies deploy sophisticated equipment to kill both adult bugs and eggs, equipment that most hotels would not simply have on hand.
He adds, “As a preventative measure, hotel owners should use mattress and box spring encasements to protect beds from infestations. These can save hotels thousands of dollars in disposing of infested mattresses and make the bed bug removal process slightly easier.”
