A Congressional Forum on the topic of bed bugs was held in Washington, D.C., last November. At the forum, Missy Henrikson, vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), called bed bugs a “global pandemic.” She went on to say that bed bugs “are the single most difficult pest to treat.”

For the lodging industry, those are frightening words.

How bad is the problem? According to a recent survey by the NPMA and the University of Kentucky, 67 percent of nearly 1,000 pest management companies surveyed have treated bed bug infestations in hotels or motels. The Bed Bug Registry, an online database of user-submitted bed bug reports, has received 20,000 reports covering 12,000 locations since 2006.

Bed bugs have been in the news often over the past couple of years and the coverage is always unwelcome by hotel owners and managers. The discovery of bed bugs certainly can be a black eye for every property where they are found, and the disclaimer that bed bugs have no correlation with uncleanliness provides little comfort for innkeepers.

“It’s not an issue of cleanliness; bed bugs have infested some of the nicest hotels in the country,” said Stoy Hedges, a board certified entomologist with Terminix, a leading pest control company. “Bed bugs are hitchhikers; they come in the luggage, on clothing, or on the bodies of your guests. Vigilance in early detection is the best way to minimize infestations, prevent them from spreading and make elimination easier.”

KNOW YOUR ENEMY
Battling bed bugs is not a conventional war, it’s more like guerilla warfare. Bed bugs love to hide during the daytime, usually in dark cracks and crevices, and crawl out at night to feed on warm-blooded hosts. They are small, durable, travel easily and can survive for weeks without feeding. They are not known to carry disease, but their bites often result in itchy, red welts. Perhaps even worse, their psychological effect on humans is powerful. Who doesn’t cringe at the thought of creeping bugs crawling on their body at night?

Bed bugs are difficult to eradicate for the simple reason they are so stealthy. Unless it is their feeding time, they are often hidden deep within the crevices of mattresses and box springs, behind headboards and baseboards, in the carpet or in furniture and drapes. Finding them often requires a flashlight and magnifying glass, and even then you may not find the bugs themselves, only their droppings, eggs and shed skins.

There are various methods for eradicating bed bugs, but even if you are successful in eliminating 99 percent of the colony, it only takes a few survivors to repopulate a room. A female bed bug can lay 200-500 eggs in their six- to 12-month lifespan, and they can travel up to 50 feet in a single day. Mobile, agile and fertile are the characteristics of this pest.

“Getting rid of bed bugs is not a do-it-yourself task,” said Hedges. “It takes an integrated approach to locate and eliminate them, and you have to remain vigilant to make sure they don’t repopulate.”

BATTLING BED BUGS
As an entomologist, Hedges has spent years studying bed bugs and knows how to combat the tiny critters. He says the first steps involve inspection and cleaning.

“Bed bugs are cryptic, secretive insects that spend most of their time hiding,” he explained. “Employees need to be trained in how to recognize bed bug activity. Once bed bugs are found, then steps need to be taken such as removing sheets and items from the room in sealed bags, and hiring a professional pest control company to treat the infestation.”

Linens should be washed in hot water, at least 115 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, to kill the bugs and their eggs. Fabrics that can’t be washed should be dried at a temperature of at least 115 for 30 minutes. Rooms should be vacuumed thoroughly, with special attention paid to the seams of mattresses and box springs, baseboards and wall junctures, and behind headboards. Also vacuum drawers and closets thoroughly, as bed bugs may have arrived in clothing and set up residency in those areas.

“Physically removing the bugs and their eggs is the first step. Next, depending on the severity of the infestation, would be a treatment using residual pest control products, then perhaps steam or freezing. All of these methods can be effective for eliminating bed bugs,” said Hedges.

Frozen carbon dioxide—dry ice—has the benefit of being safe to use around humans and pets, yet very effective against bed bugs.

Steam is another effective treatment method for bedbugs and their eggs, killing them on contact. However, it can’t be used on surfaces that may be damaged by moisture, such as books, plastics, varnished surfaces and some fabrics.

KEEP VIGILANT
Hedges points out that no single service is a guarantee that your bed bug problems are over. Repopulation is possible if any bugs survive, and there is always the chance that your next guest may be unwittingly packing bed bugs.

“It’s very important to keep vigilant for bed bugs,” said Hedges. “Train your housekeeping staff on how to look for bed bugs, and make sure they do so every day.”

The bed bug “pandemic” is not likely to end soon. For innkeepers, it pays to be proactive, with frequent inspections and a thorough, integrated treatment program if the pests are found. Armed with knowledge and good practices, including regular pest control services, hotel and motel managers can hopefully keep their properties bed bug free.

Michael Bielskis is a PR veteran with nearly 15 years of both agency and client-side experience. He currently works for the ServiceMaster corporate communications group, serving some of the company’s premier brands including Terminix, Merry Maids, ServiceMaster Clean and others.