Mr. Meek

Security & Safety

Don't Let Pests Hitchhike Their Way Into Your Hotel

By Frank Meek, International Technical & Training Director, Orkin, LLC

As gasoline continues to sell at high prices, humans aren't the only ones seeking alternate ways to travel. While pests may not stick out their thumb and ask for a ride, they can "hitchhike" into hotels in shipments and people's belongings.

Pests flock to hotels for numerous reasons, including food, water and shelter. Some hitchhiking pests such as bed bugs come inside in people's belongings, while crawling pests often hide in supply boxes and shipments. Let's take a closer look at each of these pests, including how you can identify them and prevent them from earning a free night's stay.

Bed Bugs

When turning down the bed at night, guests don't expect to see surprises under the covers or on the pillows, except for maybe a chocolate or mint. The last thing they want to find is a bed bug.

Bed bugs measure about 3/16 of an inch in length and with their oval-shape and reddish-brown color closely resemble apple seeds. While bed bugs have long been thought of as a "pest of the past," their reemergence in recent years can be attributed in part to an increase in international travel and change in pest management treatment methods. These "hitchhikers" often enter hospitality facilities via luggage or guest belongings.

While bed bugs have not been found to transmit diseases, these blood-feeders can leave itchy, red welts on their victims. Not only can an infestation result in a lawsuit or unwelcome media attention, but it also can impact your bottom line since heavily infested furniture often must be discarded.

Resilient pests, bed bugs can withstand extreme temperatures and live as long as a year or more without eating. Proactive efforts are key to effective management of these pests, since in addition to their hardiness, bed bugs reproduce very quickly - just two can produce more than 160 offspring, resulting in 200 additional eggs, in a month's time.

To identify infestations early, monitor for the pests on a daily basis. Since bed bugs are nocturnal, they're easily identified by the brown or red stains they leave behind on sheets or other surfaces after feeding. Bed bugs generally live within 15 to 20 feet of their food sources, which, in a hotel room, are your guests. Look for small red stains on mattress seams and tags, behind headboards, near baseboards, in cracks and crevices, on furniture, or in lighting fixtures. In cases where large numbers of bed bugs are present, you may detect a sweet odor like soda syrup.

If you do find evidence of bed bugs, follow these three steps:

Work with your pest management professional to train your housekeeping staff to assist with your bed bug management efforts. Make sure that your staff can recognize the signs of bed bugs and knows your establishment's protocol if an infestation is discovered.

Creepy Crawlers

While beg bugs hitch a ride with travelers, some pests such as rodents and cockroaches can enter a facility by hiding in shipments or by simply crawling in through openings. These creepy crawlers make guests squirm...and for good reason.

Roaches and rodents pose serious threats to the health of your employees and guests. Since cockroaches often frequent unsanitary places, their bodies can be exposed to feces and other organic matter. They can carry an average of 25 different disease-producing bacteria that can lead to food borne illnesses such as diarrhea, food poisoning and pneumonia. In addition, allergens found in cockroach excrement and cast skins can aggravate people who suffer from allergies or asthma.

Rodents also can carry a host of diseases, but one in particular is the cause of concern in many areas of the country, the Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Since the first recognized case of Hantavirus in 1993, there have been more than 415 infections with one-third of all cases resulting in death. Humans can contract the disease by breathing air contaminated with urine, droppings or saliva from certain species of rodents. In addition to Hantavirus, rodents can carry salmonella, plague and rat-bite fever.

Given the fact that roaches and rodents can cause harm to your guests and potentially ruin your hotel's reputation, educate your staff members on how to inspect for the crawling pests. Monitor all incoming boxes and shipments, since cockroaches will ride inside in boxes and other items brought into the facility. To inspect shipments for signs of rodent activity, use a black light to illuminate rodent urine. Refuse any shipments you suspect to be infested.

Make sure your staff members also can identify signs of crawling-pest infestations throughout your establishment. Inspect supply rooms, food preparation areas and guest rooms for signs of pests, including droppings and live or dead pests. Rodents also can be identified by gnaw marks on plastic pipes, electrical wires and other places, while cockroaches often leave behind shed skins. Make sure your employees know to report all pest sightings immediately.

To ensure the safety (and sanity) of your employees and guests, implement preventive measures such as sanitation, facility maintenance and exclusion, which physically prevents pests from entering your hotel. Work with a pest management professional to incorporate the following tips into your staff's regular routine:

Remember that partnership is the key to closing the door on hitchhiking pests. From supply chain management to employee education, everyone plays a part in keeping your hotel pest-free.

An industry veteran, Frank Meek has been with Orkin since 1986. In 2003, he was named among the future leaders of the pest management industry in Pest Control Technology magazine’s “40 Under 40” ranking. Currently, as the International Technical and Training Director, Mr. Meek provides technical support and training in both sales and service to Orkin's international franchises, helping them grow and develop in their specific markets. As a board-certified entomologist, Mr. Meek teaches Integrated Pest Management principles and can explain how to use all available methodologies to prevent pest infestations in various commercial settings. Mr. Meek can be contacted at 404-888-2898 or fmeek@rollinscorp.com Extended Bio...

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