Bed bugs. For Hotel and Property Management professionals, this is a relatively new issue and many of us don’t know what to do about it. Law suits are sky-rocketing in volume across North America. If managers don’t have a documented bed bug program, insurance may not cover legal and awarded claims expenses. Protect your customers and yourself from this new threat.
During the early stage of bed bug resurgence, many people experimented with chemical pesticide only methods because it is quick and inexpensive. In this method, a Pest Management Professional spray’s the infested room. Verified research indicates that unless bedbugs are directly contacted with the insecticides currently available there is low effectiveness and even those bedbugs directly contacted may live several days before death. Scientists from the University of Kentucky reported a 200 to 300 times higher dose is required to kill bed bugs collected from the field (apartments, hotels, houses, etc.) as compared to those raised in their laboratories (Pest Control Technology magazine, July 2007).
Extensive use of aerosol insecticides can trigger bed bugs to hide deeper within furniture or move to other rooms – this explains how an entire apartment can become infested as bed bugs develop resistance to insecticides. Plus, this chemical treatment is even less effective on bedbug eggs; a week or two later the bugs are back.
Integrated Pest Management is required where bed bugs are active in your facility. This includes a combination of the following:
When choosing a pest control provider, review carefully with them that they are doing all of these things for the price quoted. Each treatment will require a minimum of two visits; make certain that’s included also. A quick chemical spray will not suffice.
Treating bed bug infestations is expensive and prevents you from renting your rooms, which costs you double. Have a professional inspect 10% of your rooms each month. This will help identify and control bed bug problems before they get out of control, for a fraction of the cost of treatments.
Protect yourself. A documented bed bug inspection program can show due diligence has been taken in a court of law. Bed bug lawsuits filed against hotels are on the increase.
Hotels and other public accommodation, including hospitals, should use bed bug mattress protectors – encasements designed specifically to prevent bed bugs. This protector is inexpensive but very effective in preventing bed bugs from nesting within the box spring and mattress. It also prolongs the use of the mattress. Thus, a win-win situation!
Provide classroom bed bug training to your housekeeping staff. They will learn to identify bed bug infestations while cleaning rooms and to notify management. They will also carry bed bug infestations from room-to-room if not properly trained on how to avoid this. This is a low cost way to catch bed bug problems early before heavy infestations occur.
Quarantine the room of suspected activity, leaving all bedding, towels etc. in the room. Make the rooms above, below and on either side of the suspect room available for inspection. Relocate all guests immediately.
During periods of low vacancy, don’t leave the same rooms of sections of your facility vacant for long periods of time. Rooms that aren’t inspected by housekeeping staff regularly leave bed bug infestations un-checked. Bed bugs can grow and populate even without a constant food source.
Because of the high amount of traffic and the versatility of the facilities, pests are naturally attracted to long-term care institutions. Many nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other care facilities include on-site kitchens and cafeterias as well as private rooms and common spaces. All of these places are susceptible to attracting pests because of the presence of food, water and viable habitats.
During the summer months, some people love to go camping with family and friends. Yet this fun trip can be ruined with a few unwanted visitors, most notably different types of bugs. Crawling spiders, hungry mosquitoes and buzzing flies can become annoying quickly. How can you avoid these pests when you're outdoors? Consider these tips to keep bugs out of your campsite.
Carpenter ants can chew through the strongest studs and stringers in a house as they hollow the wooden beams out for nesting. The resulting damage can weaken the home's structural support and require expensive repairs. Professional pest control workers can remove a colony of ants, but the best practice for homeowners is to learn the best ways to keep out an ant colony and prevent the problem before it begins.
As the weather cools, you'll probably see fewer pests than you did during the warmer months, but that doesn't mean they're all gone just yet. Some insects can actually come out in full force during the autumn, while others might seek refuge in your warm home. Here are some key tips to keep in mind as fall gets underway:
As the middle of summer approaches, you need to be vigilant about keeping your garden free of pests. Many insects breed during the summertime, which means they're on the lookout for great places to lay their eggs. For many bugs, that means near a source of food. In fact, some species of insects will lay their eggs inside budding vegetables and fruit so their larvae have something to eat as soon as they hatch. That's why you have to keep harmful bugs out without damaging the bugs that could help you, such as bumble bees.
You might have noticed that, with the exception of the kitchen, you find more pests in your bathroom than in the rest of your home. This is because insects and rodents see the bathroom as a convenient watering hole. Pests love leaky pipes and standing water because these offer them a hydrating oasis in the otherwise dry biome that is your house or apartment. And if your bathroom develops mold, all the better for pests, who may eat fungus or use it to lay their eggs.
The kitchen is largest gathering place for pests in a residential home. The reason is simple: pests can grab a bite to eat and take a sip of water while they're here. And when they find such a bountiful place, they will return home to their nests and report the finding - before you know it, your whole pantry is a buffet for ants! The problem could get even worse if a piece of food falls somewhere and begins to rot. Similarly, fruit and vegetables you bring into your home may be harboring unseen pests waiting to hatch.
In the summer months, people love to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables. Some even venture to farmers markets where the food is cheaper. However, not only do fruits come home with you, fruit flies may too. Once they've gotten acclimated in your home, they might stay all summer. These pests breed quickly, and tend to spread through whatever food you've got around. They also are happy to join in on any meal you have, be it a sit-down dinner or a barbecue in your backyard. Worst of all, like other flies, they carry disease. Consider these tips on how to prevent fruit flies from coming home with you.
