Protect Your Guests From Bed Bugs

If you are in the hospitality business, you already know that bed bugs can be the kiss of death. Even though the cleanest hotels, motels, and vacation rentals can get bed bugs, an infestation can ruin your reputation. People assume that your business is dirty and that you do not care about it. Plus, they ruin your guests’ experiences. If they have bed bugs when they get home, they have to deal with unwanted expenses and hassles. That means negative reviews for you. If your reviews say you have bed bugs, you are going to lose guests. It will also take a long time to shake that reputation.

You want to start with a thorough prevention program. Just like other pests, it is easier to prevent bed bugs than eliminate them. However, preventing bed bugs is trickier than preventing other bugs. Exclusion is an important part of preventing any type of pest. However, for many pests’ exclusion means eliminating entry points. In a rental property, that is much more difficult. After all, your guests can bring in pests. While they are less likely to bring in rodents or cockroaches, guests can carry in bed bugs and other parasitic pests, such as fleas.

Fortunately, working with a pest control company, you can take some steps to prevent bed bugs. You have to start with rigorous cleaning. You need to thoroughly clean all bedding between guests. You need to dry it at high temperatures, as well. Protect your mattresses. They should be in protective plastic coverings.

If you suspect any exposure to bed bugs, you want to treat those items with heat or freezing temperatures. That can help keep the bed bugs from spreading. If you are in an area where bed bugs are a problem, you may want to regularly take those steps, even if you do not have a reason to suspect bed bugs.

Make sure your cleaning staff is aware of the signs of bed bugs. In addition to bloodstains and dark spots on the sheets, they also need to keep an eye out for eggshells and skins. They should also report any foul smells. Cleaning services should include an inspection of places where bed bugs hide like baseboards, furniture joints, and furniture cushions.

At Flick, we can help you with prevention and treatment. Contact us today to set up regularly scheduled bed bug inspections, prevention, and treatment. That is the best way to ensure your guests are never plagued by these nasty little bugs.