“One word summarizing my experience: Bedbugs.” Comments like this are a lodging establishment’s worst nightmare coming from guests. Certainly no hotel wants a guest’s stay to be defined by a pest problem. However, the above is not just a nightmare—it is an actual post from Trip Advisor.

There are plenty more, too:

“There were cockroaches in the first room we were allocated. We were upgraded to an executive room, which also had cockroaches. We feel the whole hotel must be over-run with these pests.”

“I have never stayed at a hotel that had so many mice. Mice crawling off the floor and up onto your bed by shimmying up the bedspread. Do us all a favor and spend some money in pest control.”

“If you want a memorable stay with termites this is the place to stay!!!! They have termites in every room and when informing them about the termite problem in our room the managers said ‘Well, what can you expect from a big wooden building?’ meaning for them, termites are acceptable.”

Suffice to say, when pest problems emerge at a lodging facility, guests will not only have a strong reaction to the problem, but also talk about it.

This is why Integrated Pest Management, commonly referred to as IPM, may be a beneficial approach for lodging managers to evaluate when reviewing how to implement the most effective and efficient pest management program. This program is not simply about treating a pest problem, but rather preventing an infestation before one can take shape.

This is especially important for hotels, which must consistently maintain a high level of quality not only for the benefit of guests, but also for the benefit of business. Hotels, motels and other lodging facilities can’t afford to be shut by local regulating agencies due to pests or pest-related issues. More importantly, hotels can rarely afford the reputational damage that a major infestation can cause.

IPM delves far deeper than simply pest prevention, however, as it requires a cooperative partnership with a licensed pest professional.

Defining IPM in an Accurate and Meaningful Way

Integrated Pest Management, as defined by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), is a process involving common sense and sound solutions for treating and controlling pests. The focus is on finding the best treatment for a pest problem, and not merely the simplest. Pest professionals never employ a “one size fits all” method in IPM, but rather, utilize a three-part practice: 1) inspection, 2) identification and 3) treatment by a pest professional. Treatment options in IPM can vary from sealing cracks to removing food and water sources to employing pest products, when necessary.

To properly implement an IPM program within hotels, managers must have the best information and a variety of pest management options available. IPM programs should be designed within the comprehensive and holistic definition provided above—a definition, which provides managers with a multitude of proactive and reactive measures to protect guests and their establishments from the risks associated with pest infestations.

Further, the “integrated” in IPM does not merely describe the three-part practice of inspection, identification and treatment. It reflects the joint commitment of managers and pest professionals in making a lodging facility a pest-free environment. Cooperation is critical because it sustains the individualized approach of IPM. Clearly, the pest management needs of a metropolitan high-rise hotel are quite different from those of a motel situated off a major travel route or those of a rural bed and breakfast. A multi-party effort to implement IPM encourages a stronger commitment to assessing each situation uniquely and developing a comprehensive cure to any pest problem encountered by a lodging facility.

Why Hotels Should Consider an Integrated Pest Management Approach

Pests and rodents not only pose serious health threats to guests and risks for property damage, but also pose the potential for a hotel to be fined or temporarily closed. While pests may be considered common or “nothing more than a nuisance” at home, in a hotel, a pest infestation can wreak havoc upon even the best reputation. When the prevalence of pests and their real threats are considered, it is unsettling to think of your guests sharing their rooms with these uninvited guests.

Consider these facts:

• According to NPMA, reports of bed bugs have increased by 71 percent in the past five years, with nearly 40 percent of those reports coming from hotels and motels.

• Recent medical studies have shown that cockroaches not only carry more than 33 kinds of bacteria, but that their allergens can trigger asthma attacks.

• Rodents can not only chew through electrical wiring, increasing the potential risk of fire, but also can bring other pests, such as fleas, mites and ticks indoors, which can quickly spread throughout lodging facilities. More, rodents can contaminate food sources with their feces, which can spread Salmonella and Hantavirus to guests.

• Queen termites can lay thousands of eggs each day, allowing termite colonies to grow exponentially in a short amount of time. These often hidden pests can eat 24 hours a day, seven days a week and although known for their affinity toward wood, termites can also eat at carpets and wallpaper.

Even in briefly examining just a few of the potential risks posed by pests to lodging facilities, it is clear that prevention can be equally as important to pest management as treatment, thus the emphasis placed upon developing a partnership with a pest professional. Here are just a few pest prevention techniques, which can—and should—be employed by hotel staffs within a properly implemented IPM program:

• Teach housekeeping staff how to be vigilant in looking for pests, especially bed bugs. Always have housekeepers pull back the sheets and inspect the mattress seams, particularly at the corners, for telltale stains or spots.

• Vacuum guestrooms every day.

• Wash all sheets and pillowcases in hot water as bed bugs— and many other pests—are susceptible to high heat.

• Dispose of garbage in clean, sealed containers.

• Seal cracks and holes on the outside of the building, including entry points for utilities and pipes.

• Keep tree branches and shrubbery well trimmed and away from any/all buildings.

• Repair fascia, soffits and rotted roof shingles; some insects are drawn to deteriorating wood.

• Replace weather-stripping and repair loose mortar around the foundation and windows.

• Consider replacing mulch adjacent to the building with crushed stone; mulch can provide a burrowing area for rodents and other pests.

• Be sure that exterior lights are not directed at doors or positioned above entryways as they serve as a beacon for unwanted pests.

• Be sure that employees do not prop doors open during a shift or break to prevent unwanted pests and rodent from entering.

• Fit any doors that must be open with air curtains or plastic strip curtains.

A Final Note on Integrated Pest Management

IPM is an approach that should be thoughtfully considered by lodging executives as it allows facility managers to best protect guests’ health and hotels through a variety of pest management options, while also encouraging a strong working relationship with a licensed pest professional. As evidenced, pests can have a lasting impact on how guests view any stay within a lodging facility and rightfully so. What sets IPM apart from other pest management practices is its focus on collaboration—this is a program in which all staffers—from housekeeping to coffee baristas to the concierge—can play a role. It is this collaboration between managers, staff and pest professionals, which can lead to more sustained and successful pest prevention and treatment, and ultimately a more content and satisfied guest.

Missy Henriksen is the Vice President of Public Affairs for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), a non-profit organization with more than 7,000 members. Established in 1933, NPMA supports the pest management industry's commitment to the protection of public health, food and property. For more information on pest prevention or IPM visit www.Pestworld.org or www.WhatisIPM.org. To reach Henriksen directly, please e-mail: mhenriksen@pestworld.org.