Bed Bugs in Hotels
They're back.
Bed bugs in hotels have never really gone away but the old phrase "sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite" has come back strong and with a bite to hotels. Even some of the finest hotels in the world are being bitten by the resurgence of these bloody biters.
They are not targeting cheap hotels or old hotels. They can be found in the newest, the best and the most expensive of hotels. They do not discriminate. They just want human blood and do not pose a health threat at this time.
More and more hotel pest calls are being quietly serviced by the pest control industry. The complaints are rising but are mostly buried by the hotel chains. As a travel website, we don't want consumer afraid of hotels but we do want you to be aware of the problem and what you can do about it.
Bed bugs have triggered lawsuits but that seems a bit too extreme. Bed bugs are in our homes, not just hotels. Hotels are more susceptible however, because of the transient nature of the guests. People and their luggage come and go and the bed bugs can hitch a ride from place to place, multiplying as they go. If you complain to the front desk, the hotel should try and accommodate you with compensation. Perhaps a free stay or other perks that they can pass on to you right away.
Bed bugs are oval-shaped and tiny, less than a quarter of an inch, and brown in color. They hide under mattresses and in the bed frames, crevices and other furniture pieces.
Once they find an attractive human source, they bore the skin and suck blood. Can an empty room kill them off? Not so, as they can go months without a food source. They wait patiently for the next guest to check in. They may even hitch a ride home with you in your luggage.
Scientists believe that the resurgence is caused by the cut backs in some pesticides. Many of the most powerful pesticides have been taken off the market due to other health problems that they caused. In the U.S., the insecticide DDT which was banned in the 1960s, was used heavily in hotels and bed bugs were nearly eliminated in the 1940s and 50s.
There is no evidence that bed bugs transmit West Nile Virus or any others at this time. So far, they only leave a itchy mark on the skin....and perhaps an uneasy creepy feeling the next time you pull back the sheets in your hotel room.
Bed bugs in hotels have never really gone away but the old phrase "sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite" has come back strong and with a bite to hotels. Even some of the finest hotels in the world are being bitten by the resurgence of these bloody biters.
They are not targeting cheap hotels or old hotels. They can be found in the newest, the best and the most expensive of hotels. They do not discriminate. They just want human blood and do not pose a health threat at this time.
More and more hotel pest calls are being quietly serviced by the pest control industry. The complaints are rising but are mostly buried by the hotel chains. As a travel website, we don't want consumer afraid of hotels but we do want you to be aware of the problem and what you can do about it.
Bed Bug Lawsuits
Bed bugs have triggered lawsuits but that seems a bit too extreme. Bed bugs are in our homes, not just hotels. Hotels are more susceptible however, because of the transient nature of the guests. People and their luggage come and go and the bed bugs can hitch a ride from place to place, multiplying as they go. If you complain to the front desk, the hotel should try and accommodate you with compensation. Perhaps a free stay or other perks that they can pass on to you right away.
Bed bugs are oval-shaped and tiny, less than a quarter of an inch, and brown in color. They hide under mattresses and in the bed frames, crevices and other furniture pieces.
Once they find an attractive human source, they bore the skin and suck blood. Can an empty room kill them off? Not so, as they can go months without a food source. They wait patiently for the next guest to check in. They may even hitch a ride home with you in your luggage.
Scientists believe that the resurgence is caused by the cut backs in some pesticides. Many of the most powerful pesticides have been taken off the market due to other health problems that they caused. In the U.S., the insecticide DDT which was banned in the 1960s, was used heavily in hotels and bed bugs were nearly eliminated in the 1940s and 50s.
There is no evidence that bed bugs transmit West Nile Virus or any others at this time. So far, they only leave a itchy mark on the skin....and perhaps an uneasy creepy feeling the next time you pull back the sheets in your hotel room.
Labels: general, rip offs and cons
posted by - A at
10:19 AM
10 Comments:
I had a horrific experience with bed bugs. I woke up to see a bug crawling into my 3 year old son's ear. Although I hate to persue a lawsuit; at times it's tempting. His skin swelled up and was irritated. My oldest son 7 and myself were also bitten and our reaction was that of a mosquito bite. Our skin was red, bumpy and irritated. I captured about 15 bugs in 20 minutes. I killed atleast 50 bugs that evenning in the rented villa in Florida. At this time I will keep this resort nameless. People should really inspect the condition of the hotel/resort before they get comfortable. I can't help to wonder if that bug would have gone into my son's ear canal and damaged his ear. Another very important issue was the fact that all of the bugs I killed were full of blood. I don't think we were bitten that many times so I can only imagine that the people before our stay were bitten and I was wiping there blood off of my children.
Horror in Fresno CA hotel
National chain.... Red Roof Inn
Room infested. also had kids with bugs on them
Discovered whole hotel had problem
Management knows.... does not disclose .. The hotel is still being treated for bugs 6 months later.
It is appalling they get away with it.
Check CDC website report of study showing HEP B BEING TRANSMITTED BY BED BUGS!!
Hello All,
I work in a hotel in Alberta, Canada and even though we have only had one case of "bed bugs" in the 3 years that I have been here I know that this can happen everywhere. Even the nicest and cleanest hotels in the world. In todays economy where people are traveling much more for business and/ or pleasure it is apt to happen. The bugs hitch a ride to the next destination and it is as easy as that. It is a chance you take staying in any type of lodging. These little bugs actually burrow into the bed. So when the linen is changed between guests they stay behind. Please keep an open mind when dealing with a matter like this.
I was at the Holiday Inn Express on 5605 Major Blvd in Orlando this week end and got bitten over 50 times by bugs. When I called the front desk the Asst GM told me that they had no bugs problem in the hotel and that I was immagining. When I took around 6 of those bugs to the front desk the GM told me that he could only give me $6 to wash my clothes so to make sure that they would not stay in my clothes. I was red all over. When I ask for my vacation back I was told that they could not do that. Clean hotel?just keep in mind the bed bugs come out at night at the Holiday Inn Express on 5605 Major Blvd in Orlando
I don't know why everyone is so afraid to file a lawsuit. The hotels won't care about this problem until you hit them in their pockets. Give them a financial incentive to take notice and do something about it.
I was recently at the Marriot Town Center in Boca Raton, Florida and was bitten all over. I was moved to another room but the experience was horrible and I still feel itchy days later. Of course they insisted they "have no problem".
KP
I do not have bebugs in my house nor have I ever had them. Bed bugs are potentially more serious then most people let on. Go GOOGLE BED BUG HEPATITUS B. and look at vthe research has been done. South Africa has a very serious problem with with bed bugs spreading hepititus B. So what is there to say the the South African bed bugs are in the hotel rooms here in the US. SUe the hotels. It is incumbent up the hopitality management industry to protect their customers from this potentiallly dangerous pest.
I Manage 2 hotels in the same city that have to date, have NOT had any reported problems with bed bugs. But there have been indications of bed bugs in the surrounding areas and they are growing rapidly. It appears that our hotels will be hit quite soon. This is not a small-scale infestation, it is a nation-wide EPIDEMIC, and it is growing everyday. The persons involved in hospitality management; General Managers, CEO's, Management Companies, ownership corporations, etc. do not have anything to do with the spread or control of bed bugs. They CANNOT control it. The pesticides we are allowed to use to ward off bed bugs are not effective. DDT is no longer legal, and it is the only known method of effectively killing these nasty little pests. The chemicals pest control centers are allowed to use against bed bugs today are failing miserably.
It is unfair to say that the persons in the hotel industry dont care about this problem unless its hitting them in the pocket. Hoteliers are spending millions of dollars trying to save their hotels from disaster. The thought that the hotels in our area may soon be infested is TERRIFYING.
Inspecting the condition of a hotel or resport prior to arriving will not help. Hotels are not infested because they're dirty. High-occupancy hotels are occupied by business travelers from overseas everyday. Most of those travelers stay at 5-star hotels and bring the bed bugs with them. In smaller towns, they stay at the more well-known brands. There is no discrimation from bed bugs.
This is one problem where it doesn't matter if it's a one star hotel or a five star. Bed bugs don't care of know the difference. They just infest.
The main difference is they'll be more comfy in a nicer hotel and the hotel will spend more money to cover it up.
Should innkeepers also sue the guests who transport the bed bugs into their establishments? How does one screen guests? Guests serve as unknowing transport. That is how the bugs travel.
I have been researching the problem and one thing I learned is that travelers should make an effort to keep luggage closed while in a motel, hotel, inn. Also, never put luggage on the floor. Mattresses can be encased, but the bed bugs will hide in the cracks in the wall, or in other furniture.
Dogs are being trained to snif out bed bugs. Still, if bed bugs are found, even environmentally-friendly pest control companies recommend chemical treatment. Chemicals are not good for you.
The issue is so distressing that it will probably make a lot of people leave the industry since there does not seem to be any solution in view. Newspapers report even the best hotels in New York have bed bugs. Hotel owners cannot stop this invasion. Travelers need to do their part, keep their eyes open, report any bites to management, keep luggage closed, etc.
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