Bed bugs are a public health issue
They travel in luggage, not dirt. That’s why clean hotels and brand new apartments get them too.
Bed bugs come with a stigma that makes them harder to deal with. Staff are slow to report them, guests assume the place is dirty, and by the time anyone acts, they’ve spread to more rooms.
Clean rooms get them too
Bed bugs feed on blood, not waste, so any room where people sleep can host them. The real risk is how often people and belongings come and go. That’s why hotels, staff housing, hospitals and apartment buildings see them most.
Signs to look for
Live bugs are usually the last thing you see. Look first for dark spots along mattress seams and bed frame joints, shed skins behind the headboard, and bites in a line on the arms or shoulders. Check the bed frame before the mattress.
It’s rarely just one room
By the time you can see an infestation, it’s usually been there for weeks and has spread along pipes and skirting into nearby rooms. Treating only the room that was reported is the most common reason treatment fails.
What treatment involves
Effective treatment includes preparation, heat or residual treatment, and a follow-up visit timed to when the eggs hatch. The room also needs to stay empty for a set period. Skipping the follow-up only delays the problem.
Written by the Mace field team. Ask us about your site.
