Bed Bugs: A Growing Problem in the Hotel Industry
During the last decade, the number of bed bug infestations has exploded in the hospitality industry much due to the increase in more frequent travelling and to further-away destinations. Lack of knowledge and protocols on how to act in the event of an infestation are contributing factors to the growing problem. Also, bed bugs themselves are developing resistance to insecticides making it harder to eliminate them.
GROWING TOURISM INCREASES THE RISK
According to the World Tourist Organization global tourism continues to show signs of a strong and steady recovery from the impact of the pandemic despite significant mounting economic and geopolitical challenges. This also means an increased risk of bed bug infestations in the hospitality industry. As bed bugs often hitchhike with hotel guests’ belongings, from one sleeping place to another, as well as the fact that it’s not possible to starve a bed bug infestation, poses a major challenge to the hospitality industry. This pest can go dormant and survive for several months without food, in some circumstances up to 18 months. As the problem has grown in society at large and attracted media attention, more and more travelers have begun to worry about getting bed bugs when staying in hotels.
HOTELIERS ARE WORRIED
Staying bed bug-free is a top priority if you are in the hotel industry to avoid ruining your guests’ holiday and your hotel’s reputation, not to mention leaving you with a hole in your budget. Orkin, a major pest control company, conducted a survey of 100 hotels in the United States where it was found that 90% of the hotels in the survey had been treated for bed bugs at some point and 91% of hotel owners and similar hotel businesses from the survey were worried about bed bugs. Treating a hotel room for bed bugs can be a costly situation. Not just considering the actual pest control cost, but the lost revenue when moving a guest to another room and closing off the room for the time of the treatment. Often the adjoining hotel rooms on the sides, above and below, also need to be closed off and treated.
Learn more about bed bugs in the hotel industry in Nattaro Labs’ blog.
PREVENTIVE SOLUTIONS FOR HOTEL BEDS
So, what can you do as a hotel manager to avoid this nasty pest? Implementing special cleaning routines and having protocols in place for how to act when discovering a bed bug can help in tackling the problem before it becomes an epidemic infestation. But it can sometimes be hard to see if you are dealing with a bed bug problem. Residues and droppings of bed bugs can easily be mistaken for dirt. Are the bites on the skin really from bed bugs or something else?
DETECT BED BUGS EARLY AND CONTINUOUSLY
That’s when a detection trap comes in handy. The housekeeping department in a residence could be prepared with Nattaro Scout® detection traps. These are easy to place in a suspected hotel room and the trap becomes proof of whether there is a problem or not.
Nattaro Scout® consists of a mechanical trap with a replaceable lure. This lure is made of a unique blend of bed bug pheromones that simulates the scent of a bed bug harbourage (aggregation). The scent will attract all stages of live bed bugs that may be in the room, i.e., females, males and the different stages of nymphs. The bed bugs can climb into the trap, but not out. Once inside, they are trapped.
See how the Nattaro Scout® detection trap can help you detect bed bugs early.
NEED HELP PREVENTING BED BUGS?
Nattaro Labs is a Swedish research and development company focusing on innovative products and sustainable solutions to control the growing problem of bed bugs worldwide. Through a combination of our evidence-based research, product development and close collaboration with pest control companies, Nattaro Labs today is positioned as a bed bug expert in the international market.
If you want to know more, please contact Andreas Olsson, VP Sales North America or visit the website www.nattarolabs.com
Email: andreas.olsson@nattarolabs.com M: +1 770-545-5143
DOWNLOAD THE 7-STEP GUIDE
Nattaro Labs helps hotels tackle the major challenge of bed bugs with preventive solutions so you can avoid the huge costs that can be involved with an infestation. Download the guide with 7 steps to prevent bed bugs in hotels and stay just as many steps ahead of this elusive and hard-to-eradicate pest.
Download the guide “Protect your guests from bed bugs”.
