The hospitality industry has been hit hard repeatedly in recent years. Starting with 911 and continuing with SARS and avian flu alerts and for the last 5 years, bed bugs. Without trying to defend hotel operators, they should be given a break. Most hotel/motel owners try to provide satisfactory services commensurate with the prices they charge. You won’t find silken sheets and marble bathrooms for $75 a night, but you should expect a clean, comfortable room.

For the sake of argument, let’s admit that most hotel operators inspect their rooms and treat any infestations they find. So how come there are so many complaints and lawsuits related to these miniature vampires?

News reports of bedbug attacks have never bitten the victim once or twice, it’s always a lot of bites. Many bites are caused by many bed bugs. Many bed bugs don’t magically appear in a hotel room. An infestation takes time to develop. They are hitchhikers, hiding in luggage or belongings and traveling from one place to another. Remember, we’re not talking about one or two bugs, we’re talking about tens or hundreds. So if a hotel room has some bugs, the previous guest might have brought them in and it would be almost impossible to avoid it. But, if a hotel has an infestation, lots of bugs, then that’s the hotel’s fault for inadequate inspection and treatment. The only explanation for an infested room would be that the hotel was negligent in prevention and treatment.

Now to the essence of the article.

If a hotel has an infestation, that means:

– previous guests did not notice the insects or feel the bites, which is possible, not all people feel or react to bites.

– Housekeeping didn’t inspect or see any signs of a problem.

– The head cleaner, who is required to periodically inspect the work his employees are doing, did not inspect or see errors.

– the laundry facility did not notice any signs, brown spots of dried blood, bugs.

– this hotel does not have a pest control company on its payroll, at least one that is doing its job properly.

– and this is the biggest one, if the employees at this hotel and laundry couldn’t find or didn’t bother to treat bed bugs, what else is on the sheets or in the room that will make you sick?

Currently, there is no evidence that Cimex lectularius can transmit any of the 28 disease pathogens they have been found to transmit. I say currently because bed bugs are a recent problem. Scientists are beginning to understand their biology. Why can’t they spread disease, or can they, but we haven’t discovered any proof yet? However, MSRA and E.Coli are harmful and have been found in many hotel rooms in many studies. So far, viruses and bacteria pose more health damage than bed bugs, but bed bugs get all the attention. Why? Because we can see bed bugs. If you wake up with red spots all over your body and then find a bed bug, case closed. But if you get diarrhea or the flu while traveling, how can you trace it back to the sheets, towels, or TV remote in your hotel room?

Bed bugs are not the only parasite found in hotel beds. The scabies mite is so small that it cannot be seen without magnification. Unlike bed bugs, scabies is a major health problem if you get them.

Unfortunately, this entire bedbug epidemic has monopolized media coverage and hotel budgets. Any time you read about a retail store that is infested with bed bugs, it’s probably not true. Some bugs were found and the place was treated, simple. But bed bugs are a real problem in the hotel industry. Hotels are spending millions on pest control for a problem that can be managed more efficiently with education, rigorous inspection, and focused treatment. But, a proper inspection means trained staff, which means higher wages, which means a lower bottom line. It is cheaper to hire a company to fumigate and litigate on that basis.

Here is another question to answer. What pesticide are you exposed to when you stay in a hotel that is being or has been treated for parasites? A few months ago, a New Jersey pest control company was fined for illegally using poisonous pesticides not approved for indoor use, indoors. Are hotels legally required to notify guests if pesticides are used on hotel premises or in guest rooms? Have you ever been told by a receptionist that the room you are about to check into has recently been treated with pyrethroids, which are the preferred pesticides for most infestations? And while we ask, what bleaches and detergents are used to wash the bedding and what chemical cleaners are used in the bedroom and bathroom.

For the average traveler, exposure to any one of hundreds of chemical pesticides or detergents will either be quiet or cause a cold, a bit of a rash, or itchiness. Pretending to be nothing, the traveler goes on his merry way without a second thought. Maybe it affects your health later, maybe it’s cumulative, or maybe it doesn’t have any adverse effects. For people with chemical sensitivities, it’s another story. Have you ever wondered why your skin itches after staying in a motel during a road trip or why you suddenly get a runny nose?

Some will say you can get hit by a bus in front of your house, so why worry about things you can’t control? When I cross the street I look both ways. When you put your children in a hotel bed, have you looked both ways? Blind trust or ignorance is not the way to go. I would never think of not traveling, but just like I take out travel insurance, I educate myself and take precautions to ensure a healthy and happy trip.

Feel free to ask the receptionist about bed bugs or treatments for your room. Check the bedroom and mattress for signs of past or present infestations. Clean surfaces and things you will touch with antibacterial wipes. Use or carry a sleeping bag or travel sheet with you in case you need it. There are many articles you can access to learn how to inspect and protect yourself against parasites, bacteria, and viruses.