Bed Bugs On The Mind of Hoteliers

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Sept. 12, the National Pest Management Association, in conjunction with the American Hotel & Lodging Association, presented an “International Bed Bug Symposium” in the Washington, D.C. metro area. About 240 attendees, most from the lodging industry, heard from a variety of speakers about the state of bed bugs today. Speakers included:

• Dr. Jerome Goddard, Mississippi State Department of Health, Jackson, Miss.
• Dr. Michael F. Potter, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky.
• Laura Krueger, California Department of Health, Los Angeles, Calif.
• Dr. Kathy Heinsohn, BCE, National Pest Management Association, Fairfax, Va.
• James Duffield, CORT Furniture, Fairfax, Va.
• Greg Baumann, National Pest Management Association, Fairfax, Va.
• Cindy Mannes, National Pest Management Association, Fairfax, Va.
• Timothy M. Wenk, Esq., Shafer Glazer, New York, N.Y.

Goddard spoke about the public health and medical importance of beg bugs. And although there are many diseases that may be carried and transmitted by bed bugs, “At this time, there is no evidence supporting a significant amount of disease transmission by bed bugs,” he said.

Potter forced attendees to get in a “bed bug state of mind” with his presentation. “Bed bugs are the most serious urban pest challenge of this generation,” he said. He offered hotel and motel attendees the following bed bugs preventive program tips:

• Routine bed checks by housekeeping
• Monthly headboard check by maintenance
• Quarterly detailed inspection by pest management professional
• Ongoing training of entire hotel staff (not just housekeeping

“How are you going to respond at 2 a.m.” when a guest calls the front desk saying their room has bed bugs, he asked. Regarding the debate whether to toss or treat beds that are infested with bed bugs, Potter said that’s a judgment call for each individual hotel.

Krueger reminded attendees how prolific bed bugs can be. In a six-month time period, just 40 bed bugs can create 5,905 bed bugs.

NPMA’s Cindy Mannes recommended to those in hotel managers in attendance that they have a spokesperson who is media trained so he or she can confidently speak to the media if necessary. “You need to work on a communications plan now, not when (the media is) at the door,” she said. She suggested hotels prevent a crisis with planning, anticipate problems and develop solutions and build relationships with the media.

The event was sponsored by Ehrlich Rentokil Pest Control, Orkin Commercial, Steritech Brand Protection Services and Terminix Commercial. The event also featured a panel with representatives from each of the sponsor companies.