Bed bugs are reddish-brown insects that typically feed during the night on humans and other warm-blooded animals. Thankfully bed bug bites do not transmit any known diseases, however, they will cause some discomfort in the form of small itchy areas of redness, blisters or in serious cases a fever.
Bed bugs have been a nuisance for many centuries, the earliest known mention of these pests dates back as far as 400 BC. Bed bugs are extremely small and can barely be seen by the naked eye, their size can range from 1 to 7mm. In terms of insects, bed bugs have quite a substantial life span. A bed bug's life span can be several months or even a year.
Not only that, but bed bugs can survive up to a year without feeding, meaning these bugs can lie dormant for quite some time before eventually causing an outbreak. Bed bugs have been affecting homes, hotels and resorts for centuries, it is only in the last 70 years that bed bugs have become less common in homes. However, the hospitality industry continues to be impacted by these pests.
Bed Bugs in Hotels
It is said that before the 1950s, all homes in the USA and other parts 
of the world had some form of bed bugs living within their property. A bed bug's life span can cause infestations to last for quite some time because if untreated they continue to live for up to one year. The hotel industry has been hit hard with bed bugs. If a hotel is known to have had bed bugs at any point in its past, its rating on sites such as trip advisor has taken a significant hit. It is important to address the problem immediately and tackle the problem as early as possible.
The decline of bed bug infestations can be credited to a higher focus that society now has on using pesticides. Local exterminators can assist most establishments, and are easy to access. It’s important to immediately treat a bed bug infestation because bed bugs will multiply extremely quickly.
Impact of the Bed Bug Life Cycle
With the average bed bug's life span being at least 4 months it is not something you will want to delay treating. Four months can equate to a lot of unhappy guests.
A bed bug's life cycle begins with an egg, they are white in color and can be found in tight cracks and crevices throughout a property. A female bed bug can lay as many as 500 eggs within its life span and the eggs will typically hatch within 2 weeks. For example, if a hotel room has bed bugs and they are not detected early, they will multiply by the thousands in a matter of weeks.
A bed bug's relatively lengthy life span, and speed of reproduction, means it is vitally important to treat the problem quickly. You need to stop them from multiplying and entering other rooms in the property.
Prevention Solutions
Technology continues to improve and there are now many ways to detect bed bugs early to avoid a severe outbreak. In the past, it was almost impossible to detect a bed bug before a symptom from a bite was evident.
In the US, it’s taken until the 21st century to really start addressing bed bugs as a problem. In recent years bed bugs were a taboo subject, no one would want to admit the problem due to the negative backlash. In parts of New York City, it is now a legal requirement to give a bed bug history in each room of a hotel building. It is more important than ever to detect bed bugs as early as possible to avoid an outbreak.
At Spotta we provide the latest in bed bug detection technology. We know the importance of early detection and have created a revolutionary AI approach. We know traditional methods of detecting bed bugs are outdated and time-consuming.
Spotta has created a smart device that can be installed in any bedroom in any property that automatically recognizes and detects a bed bug and sends out a notification at the very first sight of one. It is a game-changer in the hotel and travel industry, providing an extremely effective way to avoid unnecessary bed bug outbreaks. We are leading the way in preventative measures in the fight against bed bugs. To learn more about this new technology visit the Spotta website.