How to Effectively Get Rid of Unwanted Pests in Hotels

How to get rid of unwanted visitors in your establishment and make sure your guest have an enjoyable stay?

We're living in the age of technology, social media, and smartphones, which means word gets around easier than ever before. The last thing you as a hotel owner need is negative publicity that comes with the pests - whether it's the cockroaches, mice, or even bed bugs. Every hotelier needs to be aware that their guests are going to be reviewing their stay - so if anything major happens the whole world will know about it.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are an infestation that even the best hotels aren't safe from since they are usually brought to the hotel premises by guests themselves. As the international travel developed in the past couple of decades - bed bugs became a more common problem.

Bed bugs feed at night usually where the skin comes to touch the bedding, with the face, neck, and arms being most exposed. A female that has access to enough blood can lay up to 500 eggs per month, which then easily leads to infestation.

The best way to deal with bed bugs is to prevent them from occurring. Your staff should be trained to detect any signs of bed bugs and the cleaning procedures should have the checks for bed bugs implemented.

Flies

There's a big number of fly species that are attracted to food products, especially food waste - which is a common problem with hotels. Whether it's house flies, fruit flies, or blow flies - they are attracted to food preparation areas, which is why the hotel kitchen needs to be the main target if you wish to prevent an infestation.

The single best way to keep the flies under control is by implementing good food hygiene into your everyday practices. This means that the flies shouldn't be allowed access to food sources or food waste. The best way to ensure this is to use fly-proof containers for food waste management.

Cockroaches

There's no bigger reputation killer than having a cockroach infestation on your premises. A guest that sees a cockroach at night is likely going to be in shock and complain both to the reception and online. Cockroaches are primarily nocturnal, which makes them almost impossible to detect during the day. They are attracted to food sources and they love feeding on the contaminated matter, like rotting food, fecal matter, or mold. The best way to prevent cockroach infestation is to implement excellent cleaning practices in areas where food is prepared. Surfaces and floors should be cleaned to make sure there are no remaining residues to attract the pests. Professionals also note that cockroaches multiply too fast for your cockroach sprays to be effective, so if you're suspecting an infestation you should always go to the cockroach control experts.

Mice

While mice and rats are extremely dangerous for your reputation, they are even more of a health problem since they can seriously endanger and contaminate food and surfaces. There's a range of diseases that can be spread by rats, which is why you'll want to be extra careful when dealing with the rodents. Other than that, they will also damage packaging, wiring, or any equipment that stands in their way.

Rodents can be detected due to their distinctive noises, or droppings that they leave behind. To prevent an infestation, you'll always want to hire professionals to deal with them in order to ensure legal compliance.

Bottom Line

The hospitality industry has always been the main target of unwanted pests, mostly because of the amount of food that's prepared and disposed of every day. Most people that travel won't ever book an accommodation without reading reviews first - and having a history of pest infestations won't look good for you. This is why it's vital that you do everything in your power to control the pests and call the experts to deal with them when things get out of hand. However, you can help yourself a lot by implementing good hygiene procedures - especially when it comes to food storage and food disposal.

Operations & Strategy

Victoria is a lifestyle writer and a true home improvement and DIY fanatic in constant pursuit of trying something new. She’s in love with life, love, and self-love. Her fields of expertise include home decor, interior and exterior design, landscaping and walking a dog for miles and miles.

Comments

Comments for this content

0 comments available
Loading comments...