What do I do about bed bugs in hotels as a host?

Bed bugs in hotels are common. For example, a survey found that more than 80% of USA hotels were treated for bed bugs in 2016. This is a result of an increased risk when many people pass through a place . Luxury and budget hotels are equally at risk. Most at risk are large hotels with many guests.

Even if you haven’t had a bed bug infestation yet, it’s only a matter of time.

Proactive efforts and a ready plan to handle affected guests are crucial.

Proactive step 1: Plan your response to bed bug incidents:

Why? Rapid action is key to getting rid of bed bugs quickly at a reasonable cost. Unhappy customers can cost a lot (lost business and reputation), especially in the age of social media.

How?

  • Coach receptionists and customer service staff to respond quickly and empathetically when guests report incidents.
  • Decide in advance exactly how to compensate an affected guest, and ensure that all staff are aware of this policy.

  • Decide in advance how to handle the infestation itself and the affected rooms. Things to anticipate may include: which pest controller to call? Close the room? Inspect neighbouring rooms? Replace or treat furniture?

  • Develop a strategy to manage rumor spreading and negative reviews, with a particular focus on social media.

Proactive step 2: Rethink your room cleaning routine:

Why? Used bed linen may contain bed bugs and can be a vector of spread to other rooms.

How? Train cleaning staff to follow these simple measures.

  • Store used linen in plastic bags until it reaches the washing machine. Never leave it on the floor in corridors.
  • Machine washing at 60 degrees Celsius is enough to kill all bed bug stages.
  • Make sure that used and clean linen are stored and handled separately.

Proactive step 3: Have a monitoring routine in place:

Why? Infestations are (much!) easier to handle at an early stage. Early detection also reduces the risk that guests find bed bugs.

How? Several options exist.

  • Train cleaning and technical staff to inspect for, recognize and report bed bug infestations.

  • Equip all rooms with detection traps.

  • Incorporate a rapid inspection of beds (and traps) in the room cleaning routine. See for example this inspection protocol from Purdue university.

  • Hire a pest control company or detection dog to inspect the entire facility on a regular basis.

Proactive step 4: Bed bug-proof the rooms:

Why? Bed bugs usually arrive hidden in a guest’s baggage and belongings. Bed bugs hidden deep in furniture and building structure may become hard to detect and eliminate. They can also spread actively to neighbouring rooms through corridors, cracks in walls, ceilings,…

How?

  • Equip each room with a baggage rack and closets, in order to avoid guests putting their belongings on or under the bed.
  • Choose bed designs with as few cracks and crevices as possible.
  • Or, eliminate cracks and crevices using a bed encasement and/or sealing material. This will facilitate inspection and treatment.
  • Equip beds with DE tape under the boxspring and behind headboards. If bed bugs are introduced, they will contact the Diatomeceous Earth in the tape on their way to the bed and die before they can reproduce.
  • Use baseboards/skirting boards with DE tape. Dispersing bed bugs will die on their way to the neighbouring room.
  • Find and seal potential routes of spread to neighbouring rooms. 

More resources:

https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pdf/bb-hotels1.pdf

 

 

Bed bugs in hospitality