Understanding How Different Bed Bug Treatments Work

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There are certain things which are absolutely poisonous to business in a hotel. The most obvious ones out there are things like hotel staff members that are rude and unhelpful and rooms that lack cleanliness and comfort.

These are the kind of issues that will alienate residents, discouraging them from returning and likely leading to negative online reviews and just general bad press and a bad reputation for your hotel.

But you know that already, those are the obvious missteps. One thing that you probably haven’t thought about at all, is the disastrous problem of bed bugs. Bed bugs are a real thing, they’re not some myth in a cute little rhyme designed to get children to fall asleep.

They’re real, they’re common and while they’re not exactly dangerous (unless you’re allergic of course) they are extremely irritating and waking up with bed bug bites will basically make you anxious about every bed you sleep in from now on.

It’s not uncommon for people who have had an experience with the bugs to strip their beds in hotel rooms and scour the mattress and sheets for any sign that they’ll be waking up with bites again.

If your hotel has bed bugs, word will spread and you’re probably going to lose a bit of business which will then of course turn into a lot of business the longer it remains a problem. This is why it needs to be tackled before it can turn into anything significant.

Make sure that every room is checked on a daily basis by the cleaning staff to ensure that the beds themselves are completely free of bugs and there isn’t a nest to be found anywhere. And if there is, deal with it. 

If you do find something it will hopefully just be in one room at first. It would spread without interference but that’s fine because we’re going to interfere. You’ll probably have to keep that room vacant so that the treatment can be administered. 

And as for this treatment, there are two primary ones so let’s have a look at each of them and how they work now:

Heat

This is the option that doesn’t involve spreading any kind of chemicals around the rooms and it can be completed in a single session. You should hire a professional for a heat treatment, their equipment is designed specifically for the job and they know what they’re doing.

Bed bugs won’t survive extreme heat. How this works is that the room will be heated to about 130° F and then this temperature will be maintained for a couple of hours and that’s really all there is to it.

This will eliminate bed bugs at every stage of their development. Fully grown adult bugs, newly hatched ones and then if there is a nest around that’s packed with eggs, all of them will be destroyed too.

It’s quick and it’s effective but it’s residual protection is minimal. It’s also more expensive than the other choice and because you may need it again if the problem recurs then you’re going to be more out of pocket. 

So with that in mind let’s think about the other choice:

Insecticide

Also something that you should probably hire a professional for because they know what kind of chemicals they’re dealing with and how to administer them safely so that the only damage done is done to the bugs.

While the heat usually takes just one session, this method will probably take at least three and there are several different steps which will be spread out across the overall treatment. Each of these focuses on a specific part of the room.

The first session will probably focus on spraying every exposed surface with a specific insecticide, and this includes the floor, the walls, the furniture and then possibly the ceiling too if necessary.

The second session will work on all of the little crevices and holes where there might be a nest and then the last place that attention will be given too is the outlets and baseboards, and then hopefully that’s the job done.

Again, it takes a bit longer but the effects will last longer and it doesn’t cost as much so it might be the better choice all things considered. Now if you are trying to operate on a budget and cut as much cost as possible, you could attempt the chemical route without a professional.

I wouldn’t necessarily advise it, but rubbing alcohol has sometimes proven to be successful in removing bed bugs and their nests so it might be worth a shot to teach your hotel cleaning staff this method and then let them give try and deal with the problem.

Again, this is not guaranteed to be successful and it would be worth the money to hire the exterminators, but if you want to try it without spending too much then this is a good method. 

So the approach you take really comes down to personal preference. If you want to go for the cheaper and most effective option, then go for the insecticides. If you want to try and be eco-friendly and get it done as quickly as possible, heat would be the right choice for you.

Have a think about it and try to determine which of these two would best suit the needs of your hotel. Regardless, bed bugs are an immediate problem, so don’t spend too much time contemplating!

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