Cleanliness should be a top priority when it comes to the hospitality industry and a lack of cleanliness can be detrimental to the company’s reputation and revenue if not taken seriously. With a high flow of people in and out of hotels, there’s a high possibility of guests bringing bed bugs into the hotels that they visit.
There are a variety of hotel pest control methods including pest mitigation services, deeper cleaning practices, and specific software to combat the issue. But what are the most effective methods for hotels to implement into their operations to ensure their business remains pest free and provides the best service for customers?
Common Pest Control Methods
Deeper Cleaning And Identification Methods For Housekeeping
The most important part of hotel pest control is removing anything that will attract pests in the first place like leftover room service food or waste in bins for example. When looking at hotels, it is essential that housekeeping eliminates the opportunity for pests to find food, water, or shelter both inside and outside the property. 
This means keeping food and storage areas clear and tidy by regularly cleaning away crumbs or spillages, but also securely storing waste in sealed bags and bins that rats and mice can’t easily access.
As well as pests being unsightly creatures that no one wants to see, these animals can also carry numerous dangerous diseases. Therefore, it is imperative that housekeeping maintains a high standard of cleanliness and quickly reports any signs of pests as soon as they are discovered to avoid spreading any further.
When it comes to other types of pests like Bed Bugs, cleaning alone won’t work. Instead, Housekeeping is asked to look out for signs of bedbugs (evidence of their larvae, eggs, etc).
Pest Management Services
Should you be unlucky enough to have a pest infestation issue at your hotel, one of the best ways to resolve the situation is to get help from pest experts. Pest control companies use technology to provide quick and effective solutions to common pests to reassure you and take action when you most need it. Orkin is a well-known example of a pest management company in this space. They provide laser-focused treatments using industry-leading technology to get rid of pests from your property. From rodent treatment to more specific treatments for spiders, bed bugs, or mosquitoes, for example, Orkin offers tailored plans to combat whatever hotel pest control issues you are facing.
Know Which Pests You Are Dealing With
With so many people all in one place and an abundance of food, shelter, and water, hotels provide pests with the perfect place to live. One of the first steps in hotel pest control is to train staff to be able to identify which pests are most likely to po
se a threat to your business.
It is not enough to just tell employees to look out for pests but to have regular pest patrols as part of a weekly routine. This is a time-consuming task, however, due to how small these bugs are and their ability to hide in tiny cracks and crevices. Staff should know what pests or signs of pests to look out for (e.g. rusty or reddish stains on bedding or bed bug eggs) and be informed on the correct procedures to follow if they do come across pest infestation. Different pests require different treatments so if spotted quickly, then you are more likely to be able to prevent the situation from worsening.
Implement Regular Building Surveillance
Implementing regular checkups on your hotel’s building structure is another good way to manage hotel pest control. Pests are very clever at finding a way into your property whether that’s into hotel rooms, kitchens, or communal spaces, so it is important to block off all possible access such as gaps in doorways, windows, pipes, vents, drains, etc.
This surveillance needs to be carried out regularly to alter any problems early on to avoid pests like rats and mice that can easily squeeze through gaps into your hotel.
Challenges With These More Traditional Methods
Although these are all good methods to include in your hotel management operations, this puts a lot of pressure on housekeeping staff to spot a possible outbreak of pests and is probably not a very reliable method overall. It also adds more time to the cleaning process of hotel rooms which may mean hotels need to hire more staff to get the job done. However, this isn’t possible due to the current labor shortage in the hospitality industry and so isn’t a viable option for hotel management teams.
In addition to this, a lot of the hotel pest control methods mentioned above, only help to treat the problem once it has happened and gotten out of hand rather than preventing the situation from occurring in the first place. New services, however, can help to detect the issue before it becomes a serious threat to the reputation of your business.
IOT Pest Management Systems
Hotel pest control is a common challenge for the hospitality industry, so at Spotta we have designed a smart device that continuously monitors rooms for bed bugs using cutting-edge technology to spot a pest outbreak before it has even had a chance to spread. It then reports to you where the outbreak is starting so you can take action now before the outbreak begins in earnest.
Using Spotta’s always-on, 24/7 smart detection service also means that housekeeping is not overloaded with extra work in regard to hotel pest control and there is no need to hire more staff to maintain hygiene levels. Spotta’s software is very easy to install as it doesn’t require connection to the hotel’s IT system and is a proven way for hotels to manage pest control effectively.