In the last couple months, I read more news articles about bedbugs in hotels. Bedbug is a small pest that lives in mattresses and sometimes carpets. It bites. Every hotel manager is working hard to keep bedbugs away from the property because “cleanness” is hotel guests’ foremost expectation. Hotels often hire pests control companies to prevent the problem.
This news video shows us a new way to kill bedbugs --- heat. Bedbugs die when the temperature reaches 115 degree. Accordingly, heating a room to 140 degree for two hours will kill all bedbugs in a room. However, this method is not cheap --- it costs $1200 to "clean" an apartment like what is shown in the video.
This news video shows us a new way to kill bedbugs --- heat. Bedbugs die when the temperature reaches 115 degree. Accordingly, heating a room to 140 degree for two hours will kill all bedbugs in a room. However, this method is not cheap --- it costs $1200 to "clean" an apartment like what is shown in the video.
References:
The News5 video was downloaded from YouTube via http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_Os63_DzO4
Unfortunately this whole bedbug epidemic has hit some smaller hotels pretty hard. There have been cases where hotel guests would complain about bedbugs and demand refunds. Then it is up to the lodging establishment to prove the guest wrong. The lodging establishment normally ends up giving a refund or credit just to prevent negative publicity. I wish the media would highlight evidence that shows that no one has ever died from a bedbug bite, or that bedbugs don’t typically transmit diseases. On rare occasion a person will develop a rash, but nothing harmful or life threatening. More balanced media coverage would at least educate the public about bedbugs and the reasons behind their sudden reemergence. Balanced media coverage may also ease some of the negative stigma that is associated with bedbugs. Most hotels have established pest control procedures in place, but unfortunately bedbugs have built up a tolerance to current pesticides. This should not be the hotel’s problem. They should not have to spend large amounts of money to temporarily fix this problem.
ReplyDeleteDarrell L. Brown
Thank you for sharing a very good point. I have to admit that I felt I "had to" write something about bedbugs only because there is plenty of media coverage about bedbugs. It seemed to me it happened everywhere, from NYC, Atlanta, to LA. Usually, bedbugs are passed on by guests. It is difficult to tell who carries bedbugs and who doesn’t. It is also very difficult for hotels to prove who brings bedbugs to the properties. I believe nobody wants to deal with bedbugs; but unfortunately, everyone blames to hotels, and the responsibility has been put on hotels.
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