Unfortunately, bed bugs infiltrate hotels more often than you think. These pests are common in all 50 states, and since they bunker down within upholstery and other fabrics, they survive the harshest winters. Bed bugs don’t only sequester hotels; they hitch a ride from unsuspecting travelers and can cause a nuisance within offices, daycares, hospitals, dorms, apartment buildings, residential homes, and more.
Problematic bed bugs have been on the rise in recent years, especially for hotels. Major cities, including Detroit, Grand Rapids, Flint, and Lansing, have faced their fair share of bed bug infestations. As you can imagine, a bed bug invasion often has negative connotations; people may assume a run-down, old motel setting, for example. However, bed bugs don’t discriminate based on luxury or cleanliness; they can thrive and multiply quickly within any environment.
Although bed bugs are not known to spread disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), they are parasites that bite and feed on human and domestic animal blood. These bites result in red, itchy patches that resemble small mosquito bites.
Bed bugs are incredibly resilient, making them challenging to eradicate. They cling from host to host and are easily transferrable between humans, clothing, luggage, and within the fabric seating of vehicles. Taxis, buses, and airplanes are common hiding places as they wait to find their next host.
Bed bugs can survive for up to one year without feeding. They are nocturnal, and most people who experience bed bug bites do not feel them while sleeping, but typically later, they realize they’ve been bitten. The most common signs of bed bugs include unexplained bites on your body or tiny blood trails on bedsheets or along mattress seams.
Adult bed bugs are visible to the human eye, about the size of a flattened apple seed. They have oval-shaped bodies and are a rusty-brown color.
How to Check for Bed Bugs:
- Examine your clothing and luggage regularly to catch and prevent a bed bug infestation.
- Inspect your room as soon as you arrive, placing your luggage on the tiled bathroom floor or in the bathtub until you are confident all is clear. Use a flashlight to inspect the four corners of the mattress, box spring, and bed seams by carefully removing the sheets and the mattress pad. Inspect the edges and cracks, and check around and behind the headboard.
- Also, check the luggage rack and valet trolley. Inspect the furniture around the bed, including the cracks and crevices of the nightstand. Inspect behind pictures hanging on the wall, and pay special attention to the seams on upholstered furniture.
- If you find evidence of bed bugs in your room, notify hotel staff immediately, so they can investigate. Do not stay in a room with visible bed bugs. Ask for a replacement room – not near where you found the infestation.
- Once home, check for bugs within your luggage. Wash clothes and place all dryer-safe clothing from your luggage in the dryer for 30-45 minutes at the highest setting. If you can’t launder as recommended, place the items in a seal-tight plastic bag for several days, or placing items in a freezer will work too. Also, vacuum the inside and outside of your luggage and the fabric in your vehicle.
Pest Management Solutions for Bed Bugs:
Hotels have a responsibility to their guests to provide safe and comfortable sleeping environments and protect them from certain dangers, such as a bed bug infestation. If a guest reports a pest problem, staff should take immediate action to remedy the situation like transferring them to another room and calling a professional pest specialist for removal.
At Northern Pest, we consider the severity of the bed bug infestation and the environment they thrive in to determine the best method for successful extermination. Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to eradicate, so we use a unique treatment with specialized products and habitat modifications to eliminate them. Our all-natural application agent is deadly to bed bugs and destroys their eggs, yet is harmless to humans.
Place your business or home in professional hands that you can trust with a qualified and efficient pest control agency like Northern Pest. We assure to work quickly and discreetly to handle your bed bug problem. All services are confidential; call to schedule an inspection and estimate today.
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Northern Pest: Our family serving yours! We are licensed and insured to provide insect and wildlife pest control. Our crew has the expertise to track wildlife entry points and remove pests of all kinds, including our licensed builders, who can make any of the necessary repairs caused by wildlife. Northern Pest is a member of the MDAT and the NWCOA. We are certified by the IICRC to offer professional mold mitigation services caused by animal damage. At Northern Pest, we do it all!Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/