Don't let your guests sleep with unwelcome visitors

Bed bugs are on the march! According to a survey carried out over a five month period by pest control specialist Terminix, the company carried out 37% more bed bug treatments than it did during the corresponding period last year - and the vast majority were in hotels.

The company's technical manager Andrew Purcell attributes the increase in infestations to the emergence of insecticide-resistant strains of the insect incubating within the nation's hotel rooms. He also reckons that immigration and business travel from Eastern Europe and Asia is exacerbating the situation due to the poorer housing conditions in those places.

But hotel staff, unaware of the infestation signs, are also part of the problem. They only recognise the presence of the insects when their guests start to complain:

"Controlling an infestation of bed bugs can often require a thermal treatment in conjunction with the application of appropriate insecticides to the cracks and crevices where the pests like to hide - such as under the edges of carpets and behind headboards, picture frames and ducting.

"This can be both labour intensive and expensive, but the consequences of not taking prompt action to control infestations will be potentially far more costly from customer complaints, negative publicity and loss of goodwill."

Purcell says that the early detection of an infestation is vital. Housekeeping staff must be able to spot telltale signs such as tiny stain marks left by the pests as they squeeze their blood-gorged bodies into the little nooks and crannies in the bed frame and surrounding furniture. Pest control companies can deal with the problem but staff must do their bit to identify potential infestations.

Terminix UK