Category Archives: Bed Bugs Kentucky

June 13, 2017 How would US travelers respond to problems with a hotel guest room? In a survey conducted by researchers at the University of Kentucky, respondents showed a far stronger reaction to signs of bed bugs than to any other room deficiency. Credit: Entomological Society of America

Most business and leisure travelers in the United States can't identify a bed bug, and yet the tiny pest evokes a stronger response in hotel guests than any other potential room deficiencyputting the hospitality industry in a difficult spot.

In a survey of U.S. travelers conducted by researchers at the University of Kentucky, 60 percent said they would switch hotels if they found evidence of bed bugs in a guest room. Meanwhile, no more than a quarter said they would switch hotels for factors such as signs of smoking or dirty towels or linens. In the same survey, however, just 35 percent of business travelers and 28 percent of leisure travelers correctly identified a bed bug in a lineup of other common insects. The results of the research are soon to be published in American Entomologist, the quarterly magazine of the Entomological Society of America.

"Considering all the media attention paid to bed bugs in recent years, the fact that most travelers still have a poor understanding of them is troubling," says Michael Potter, Ph.D., extension professor in UK's Department of Entomology and co-author of the study.

It is particularly problematic given the central role that online reviews play in travelers' selection of where to stay. More than half of survey respondents said they would be very unlikely to choose a hotel with a single online report of bed bugs.

"From a hotel industry perspective, it's worrisome that a single online report of bed bugs would cause the majority of travelers to book different accommodations, irrespective of whether the report is accurate. Furthermore, the incident could have involved only one or a few rooms, which the hotel previously eradicated," says Jerrod M. Penn, Ph.D., postdoctoral scholar in UK's Department of Agricultural Economics and lead author of the study.

Other findings in the survey include:

Potter notes that the public's lack of understanding of bed bugs "contributes to their spread throughout society as a whole." But the hospitality industry must deal with both the pest itself and consumers' strong, if ill-informed, attitudes about bed bugs.

"Hotels and others in the hospitality sector should develop a reputation management plan to prudently respond to online reports of bed bugs in their facility. Hotels should also train their housekeeping and engineering staffs to recognize and report bed bugs in the earliest possible stages, when infestations are more manageable. Similarly important is training front desk and customer service employees to respond promptly and empathetically when incidents arise within the hotel," says Wuyang Hu, Ph.D., professor in UK's Department of Agricultural Economics and senior author of the study..

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More information: Jerrod M. Penn et al, Bed Bugs and Hotels, American Entomologist (2017). DOI: 10.1093/ae/tmx023

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One bedbug bites about once a week, so it's difficult to notice. It needs five feedings to grow into an adult, and once it does it lays several eggs a day, which take about a week or two to hatch, so after a couple weeks of delay you get a multitude of bugs that start biting you in the night, and it takes a week or two more for you to realize that it's not a regular rash.

So then you're a month in the infestation, there are hundreds of tiny bugs hiding in the house and you're throwing away your bed and spraying poisons along the skirting boards to get rid of them. That's not a very nice souvenir.

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Bed bug awareness poor among US travelers, but reactions are strong - Phys.Org

You probably wouldn't know one if you saw one.

Bed bug, termite, or louse? Only 35 percent of business travelers (and a scant 28 percent of leisure travelers) could identify a bed bug from an insect lineup, despite the fact that nearly 60 percent of travelers said that if they found one, they wouldn't just switch roomsthey'd switch hotels.

American travelers may be unable to tell a tick from a bed bug, concludes a study published today in American Entomologist, but we sure know we hate them.

"Hotels are really second only to homes and apartments as to where bed bugs are likely to occur," says study author Michael Potter, an Entomologist at the University of Kentucky. "There's been a lot of news coverage about bed bug incidence in hotels, but there's never been a study to actually assess the attitude towards these pests by those who travel. The hotel and lodging industry is particularly vulnerable to occurrences because of the power of social media and the potential impact of these reports of bed bug bites online, and how people respond when they find or think they find a problem in a hotel room."

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For almost a generation, bed bugs had become less fearsome and more fantastical. Many of us grew up saying the expression, "sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite," believing that bed bugs were as real as Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky. Unbeknownst to many of us, it was the crazy chemical days of the 1950s and 60s that had eliminated bed bugs as a credible threat. DDT might have nearly wiped out America's birds (and much of its wildlife) but it also temporarily took down the bed bug.

That changed towards the beginning of this century, as insecticide-resistant bed bugs began to reemerge. New pesticides don't work as well on them, because they target the same pathways in bed bugs as DDTand the insects have evolved to handle them. This, combined with the fact that they strike us in our beds while we sleep, makes them feel like the ultimate violation. The thought of a roach infestation may make you shudder, but most of us would take that horror show over an encounter with bed bugs any day.

Entomological Society of America

The problem, according to the study, is that the fear doesn't really match the problem. Sixty percent of business travelers and 51 percent of leisure travelers would be unwilling to stay in a hotel with a single online report of bed bugs; even, though as the study's bed bug identification report attests, those self-reports are likely to be inaccurate.

Our fear of bed bugs can be pretty costly for hotels, either because they're left treating rooms that don't actually have bed bugs, or because a bad review can leave them high and dry even if their bug problem is well contained. Here's the thing: one room with a bed bug does not an infested hotel make. And yet, a third of respondents said that if they actually found a bed bug in their room, they would refuse to stay at any hotel of that brand. It's almost as if they think bed bugs had loyalty cards.

While interviewing Potter, I recounted my own experience with bed bugs: I once stayed in a hotel where a colleague found bed bugs. They changed her room, comped it, sent her clothes out for cleaning, and even gave her an outfit to wear in the meantime. That seemed pretty reasonable to me, and I assumed that since her original room was on a different floor than mine, I was relatively safe.

Potter says that's a pretty safe assumption. Absent a significant infestation, a bed bug in one room doesn't mean that there's a bed bug in another roomespecially one in another part of the hotel. If you're in an adjoining room you might have a reason to be concerned, but if you're on a different floor or a different wing, not so much. Bed bugs can travel, yes, but they can't yet bend spacetime. And perhaps more importantly, he notes, the hotel responded correctly. "That's the response that we hope for," says Potter. They contained the problem and acted to fix it immediately. That kind of response should make you feel reasonably confident in an establishment's ability to stay (generally) free of bed bugs. You shouldn't knock a place for a few bed bug incidents.

"Bed bugs are pretty non-discriminatory," says Potter, "and they have nothing to do with filth."

Still, bed bugs are gross, and nobody enjoys the itchy welts that their bites can create. So, what is the bed bug skittish traveler to do?

"I do a cursory bed check," says Potter. "The most likely place you'll find bed bugs in a hotel room is behind the headboard, because the carbon dioxide and the heat tends to be where the bugs congregate initially. But those headboards can be difficult or impossible to get off of the wall."

Instead of ripping the headboard away, Potter checks the corner and the seams around the headboard area. "That's maybe the easiest place to check, but the highest chance of payoff," he says.

Then he'll pull back the sheets and check the upper and lower seams for bugs and fecal spots. Sure, there could still be bed bugs in a mattress that lack the classic signs. But these checks should reassure you. And there are steps you can take to limit the impact of any bed bugs you fail to spot.

"I don't leave my suitcase wide open with clothes strewn all around the bed," says Potter. "I tend to zip it up and put it on a credenza or a dresser surface. Just in case you've got issues, you're less likely to transport them home."

But, says Potter, there are limits to what he'll do to prevent taking bed bugs home. Some travelers actually store their suitcases (with clothes still packed inside them) in the bathtub for maximum safety. "Personally I think that's stupid," he says. "If you want to do it, fine. But I don't think it does that much good. And who wants to live out of a suitcase in a bathtub?"

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Travelers are terrified by bed bugs -- but can't spot one in a lineup - AOL

By Randy Dotinga

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, June 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- While many travelers think that finding bed bugs in their hotel room would be the stuff of nightmares, very few know what one looks like, a new survey shows.

Just 16 percent were able to spot bed bugs in a lineup of five bug illustrations. Ticks and lice were most often mistaken for bed bugs, while ants or termites were least likely to be confused with the pesky blood suckers.

Study co-author Michael Potter, a professor of entomology at the University of Kentucky, said the findings suggest that plenty of travelers are in the dark about these night-time nuisances.

"Considering all the media attention paid to bed bugs in recent years, the fact that most travelers still have a poor understanding of them is troubling," he said.

Most travelers who took the survey also said they'd seek different lodgings if they saw a single online report of bed bugs, even if it might not be accurate or reflected an infestation in just one room.

For the study, researchers surveyed almost 1,300 leisure travelers and 790 business travelers online about issues regarding hotels. Sixty percent of leisure travelers and 28 percent of the business travelers were women.

Thirty-five percent said they had considered bed bugs but didn't worry about them; 21 percent said they'd never considered bed bugs. As for the worriers, 29 percent said they'd briefly worried about them and 14 percent said they'd often worried about bed bugs.

Fifty-six percent said they wouldn't get a room at a hotel if they read an online report saying it had bed bugs.

"From a hotel industry perspective, it's worrisome that a single online report of bed bugs would cause the majority of travelers to book different accommodations, irrespective of whether the report is accurate," Potter said. "Furthermore, the incident could have involved only one or a few rooms, which the hotel previously eradicated."

Dermatologist Dr. Carrie Kovarik, an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said she has treated patients with bug bites. She wasn't surprised by some of the survey findings, but one of them -- the fact that 60 percent would flee a hotel if they saw signs of bed bugs but only 23 percent would do so if they saw a "foreign material" like blood -- was disturbing.

"I was surprised and somewhat horrified that people would rather switch hotels due to signs of bed bugs but not foreign material such as blood," she said.

Dr. Philip Shenefelt, a professor with the University of South Florida department of dermatology and cutaneous surgery, said it's important to understand that bed bug bites are "annoying but not serious" and don't transmit disease.

"The bites are not specifically distinguishable, but flying insect bites are usually on exposed skin. Flea bites are usually on lower legs, while bed bug bites may be on the trunk as well as elsewhere," he explained.

However, Shenefelt added, "What becomes much more of a problem is if the bugs hitch a ride in opened luggage and return home with you. They are resistant to most pesticides and often have to be destroyed by dry heat. That can be an expensive process requiring special equipment and training."

The bites themselves can be treated with bug bite creams, he said.

As for prevention at hotels, Shenefelt said "it is good practice to check around the bed, lifting the mattress edges off the box springs and looking for tiny bugs and bug skins and stains, before opening suitcases. The adult bed bugs are about the size and shape of apple seeds and have rounded abdomens."

The study, which was funded partly by a protective bedding company called Protect-A-Bed, was published June 13 in the journal American Entomologist.

WebMD News from HealthDay

SOURCES: Michael Potter, Ph.D., professor, entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington; Carrie Kovarik, M.D., associate professor, dermatology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; Philip Shenefelt, M.D., professor, department of dermatology and cutaneous surgery, University of South Florida, Tampa; June 13, 2017, American Entomologist

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Could You Spot Bed Bugs in a Hotel Room? - WebMD - WebMD

Bed bugs(Cimex lectularius) in a hotel room evoke a strong reaction from U.S. travelers, with 60 percent saying they would switch hotels if they found signs of bed bugs in their room, according to a survey conducted byresearchers at the University of Kentucky. However, just 35 percent of business travelers and 28 percent of leisure travelers in the same survey could correctly identify a bed bug in alineup of other common insects. (Photo originally published in Bed Bugs and Hotels: Traveler Insights and Implications for the Industry, American Entomologist, Summer 2017)

Most business and leisure travelers in the United States cant identify a bed bug, and yet the tiny pest evokes a stronger response in hotel guests than any other potential room deficiencyputting the hospitality industry in a difficult spot.

In a survey of U.S. travelers conducted by researchers at the University of Kentucky, 60 percent said they would switch hotels if they found evidence of bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) in a guest room. Meanwhile, no more than a quarter said they would switch hotels for factors such as signs of smoking or dirty towels or linens. In the same survey, however, just 35 percent of business travelers and 28 percent of leisure travelers correctly identified a bed bug in a lineup of other common insects. The results of the research are published today in American Entomologist, the quarterly magazine of the Entomological Society of America.

Which of these common insect pests is a bed bug (Cimex lectularius)? In a survey conducted by researchers at the University of Kentucky, just 35 percent of U.S. business travelers and 28 percent of leisure travelers could correctly identify the bed bug. Poor awareness of bed bugs enables their spread and causes problems for the hotel and lodging industry. The answers: 1-Ant, 2-Termite, 3-Louse, 4-Bed Bug, 5-Tick. (Image credit: Entomological Society of America)

Considering all the media attention paid to bed bugs in recent years, the fact that most travelers still have a poor understanding of them is troubling, says Michael Potter, Ph.D., extension professor in UKs Department of Entomology and co-author of the study.

It is particularly problematic given the central role that online reviews play in travelers selection of where to stay. More than half of survey respondents said they would be very unlikely to choose a hotel with a single online report of bed bugs.

From a hotel industry perspective, its worrisome that a single online report of bed bugs would cause the majority of travelers to book different accommodations, irrespective of whether the report is accurate. Furthermore, the incident could have involved only one or a few rooms, which the hotel previously eradicated, says Jerrod M. Penn, Ph.D., postdoctoral scholar in UKs Department of Agricultural Economics and lead author of the study.

How would U.S. travelers respond to problems with a hotel guest room? In a survey conducted by researchers at the University of Kentucky, respondents showed a far stronger reaction to signs of bed bugs than to any other room deficiency. (Image credit: Entomological Society of America)

Other findings in the survey include:

Potter notes that the publics lack of understanding of bed bugs contributes to their spread throughout society as a whole. But the hospitality industry must deal with both the pest itself and consumers strong, if ill-informed, attitudes about bed bugs.

Hotels and others in the hospitality sector should develop a reputation management plan to prudently respond to online reports of bed bugs in their facility. Hotels should also train their housekeeping and engineering staffs to recognize and report bed bugs in the earliest possible stages, when infestations are more manageable. Similarly important is training front desk and customer service employees to respond promptly and empathetically when incidents arise within the hotel, says Wuyang Hu, Ph.D., professor in UKs Department of Agricultural Economics and senior author of the study.

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Survey: Bed Bugs Are the Last Thing Travelers Want to See in a ... - Entomology Today

Most Americans fear bedbugs but the majority can't identify one out of a lineup of other common insects, new research shows.

In a survey of U.S. travelers conducted by researchers at the University of Kentucky, 60 percent of participants said they would switch hotels if they found evidence of bedbugs in a guest room.

However, only 35 percent of business travelers and 28 percent of leisure travelers correctly identified a bedbug when looking at a group of similar small pests.

"Considering all the media attention paid to bedbugs in recent years, the fact that most travelers still have a poor understanding of them is troubling," said Michael Potter, Ph.D., extension professor in UK's Department of Entomology and co-author of the study.

The study, published in American Entomologist, the quarterly magazine of the Entomological Society of America, found bedbugs were a much bigger concern than other potential hygiene issues at a hotel. Less than a quarter of people surveyed said they would switch hotels for factors such as signs of smoking or dirty towels or linens.

Which of these common insect pests is a bedbug? In a survey conducted by researchers at the University of Kentucky, just 35 percent of U.S. business travelers and 28 percent of leisure travelers could correctly identify the bedbug. The answers: 1-Ant, 2-Termite, 3-Louse, 4-Bedbug, 5-Tick.

Entomological Society of America

The findings are particularly worrisome for the hotel industry, the researchers say, given the role that online reviews play when travelers are determining where to stay. More than half of the people surveyed said they'd be very unlikely to select a hotel with a single online report of bedbugs.

"The fact that there's a pretty obvious misunderstanding of what a bedbug looks, like much less what to do about it a lot of these reports are anecdotal, unconfirmed and they may not even have a whole lot of relevance," Potter told CBS News.

For the report, the researchers surveyed nearly 2,000 business and leisure travelers from across the country.

The results also showed that the overwhelming majority (80 percent) said hotels should be required to tell guests if their room has had a prior problem with bedbugs. Forty-six percent said if a hotel were to proactively provide information on steps it takes to prevent bedbugs, they would choose to stay there and appreciate knowing about these measures. Twenty-four percent wanted hotels to "do it, but don't tell me."

Potter recommends that people familiarize themselves with images of bedbugs online so they know what they look like.

"An adult bedbug is about the size of a tick small, brownish and flattened," he said. "But the immature [stage] of that bug, things we call nymphs, can be very tiny. A newly hatched nymph that comes out of an egg is not much bigger than the head of a pin."

If you can't see the bedbugs themselves, a telltale sign is the fecal spotting, which looks like "black speckly spots that they leave on mattresses and bed frames and other surfaces" Potter said.

He recommends doing a bed check upon checking into a new hotel room, especially at the head of the bed and in the seams of the mattress for signs of bedbugs.

If you think there is a problem with bedbugs at your hotel, alert the front desk immediately. You should be relocated to another room.

"It would be prudent to request a room further away than the one you're in because bugs do tend to move," Potter said.

From there, the question of how likely it is that bedbugs could have gotten into your clothes is complicated.

"It's not a certainty that you're going to transport bugs to the other room or bring them home with you," Potter said. "It's a function of how many bugs there were in the room initially and how open your things were."

As a precaution, he recommends not leaving your suitcase unzipped on the floor or bed, but rather zipped up on a hard surface, and avoiding spreading your belongings out all over the room.

If you think you may have picked up bedbugs in your clothes and especially if you come home with itchy red welts put all your clothes in a drier on high heat setting. "You can wash them before if you want, but the heat of the clothes drier will pretty much kill everything," Potter said.

The new report highlights that many U.S. travelers should try to better educate themselves about bedbugs, how to spot them, and precautionary measures they can take, the researchers say.

However, there are also important lessons for the hotel industry. "I think it really emphasizes that if they don't already have one, hotels need to develop some sort of reputation management plan to respond to reports of bedbugs," Potter said. "They ought to teach their housekeepers what to look for and their front desk people how to respond quickly and effectively when incidents arise."

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Do you know how to spot a bedbug? - CBS News - CBS News