Category Archives: Bed Bugs Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 14, 2015)While finding a bed bug at home can be unnerving, discovering one in a hotel room can be nightmarish for guests and hotel managers alike. Now, new research from the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture, Food and Environment has revealed findings about the financial impact bed bugs can have on the travel and hospitality industry.

UKentomologist Michael Potter, a Provosts Distinguished Service Professor, teamed with Agricultural Economics Professor Wuyang Hu, and doctoral student Jerrod Penn, in the Department of Agricultural Economics, to conduct this research. Very little was known about the economic impact of bed bugs prior to the study.

Potter has been working on the front lines of the bed bug resurgence for several years. "While bed bugs are not known to transmit diseases, the bites are often unsightly and itchy," Potter said. "Its hard to understand how upsetting an infestation can be unless youve experienced one yourself. Unlike ticks and mosquitoes, bed bugs live indoors and breed in our beds.

"The goal of the research was to understand consumer preferences when choosing a hotel for business or leisure travel, and how the risk of bed bugs influences their decision," said Penn, the lead author of the study which was funded through a grant from Protect-A-Bed, a global producer of protective bedding products.

The survey was conducted in May via online market research firm Qualtrics. Respondents included almost 2,100 people representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia 1,298 who travel mainly for leisure and 790 who do so largely for business.

The researchers put some hard numbers to the economic impact of online reports of bed bugs in hotels, as well as the value of protective services. Results show that on average, a single report of bed bugs in recent traveler reviews lowers the value of a hotel room by $38 and $23 per room per night for business and leisure travelers respectively.

"The higher loss of hotel room values for business travelers is not surprising given that they tend to stay in pricier rooms," Hu said.

In absolute terms, compared to other hotel aspects, the monetary value for travelers' concern about bed bugs makes it one of the more important considerations when selecting or grading a hotel. A second mention of bed bugs in recent traveler reviews further decreases the value of a hotel room, but proportionately to a lesser extent than the first alleged report of the pests.

When presented with various problematic issues encountered in hotel rooms, finding signs of bed bugs had the largest proportion of respondents choosing to switch hotels. Reactions to other concerns (smoke odor, unclean bathroom, dirty sheets, etc.) mostly involved reporting the concern to the front desk and requesting another room.

On the bright side, information about some protective services with regard to bed bugs received positive reaction from travelers. Both business and leisure travelers placed the greatest economic value on protective mattress encasements as a form of protection, followed by periodic (e.g., semiannual) room inspections by professional pest control firms. "But travelers placed a relatively small dollar value on regular inspections by housekeeping staff," Penn said.

"We also asked people about likely reactions specific to bed bugs," Penn said. "Survey respondents were asked how they would respond to reading an online review that reported bed bugs while looking to book a room for an upcoming trip. A majority of business and leisure travelers said they would not select that particular hotel."

In a second scenario where travelers were asked how they would react to finding a live bed bug while staying in their hotel room, "The three most likely responses among business and leisure travelers were to switch rooms with added compensation, leave the particular hotel, and to report finding bed bugs on social media," said Hu, who serves as Penn's major professor in ag economics. "Considering how popular social media has become, its important that hotels recognize the potential spread of negative information, regardless of whether the online report of bed bugs is accurate."

Travelers reading about or finding bed bugs in a hotel were more inclined to hold the particular establishment responsible than blame the entire brand name or hospitality industry as a whole.

Four out of five travelers felt hotels should be required to inform guests if their assigned room had a previous bed bug problem. Half of all leisure travelers indicated they would want to know of any problems occurring in the past year, and one-third wanted to know if there had been bed bugs ever. Business travelers were somewhat more lenient, with half wanting to know of incidents extending back six months.

"If hotels are required to disclose previous problems with bed bugs as landlords in some cities must do for prospective tenants the implications could be far reaching," Potter said. "Such disclosure could necessitate taking rooms out of service for prolonged periods even after the risk of bed bugs has diminished."

Other noteworthy findings from the study: More than two-thirds of travelers were unable to distinguish a bed bug from other household insects. More than half said they never worry about bed bugs while traveling although about one in three business travelers and one in five leisure travelers either know someone who has gotten bed bugs or had them themselves. Business travelers are better at correctly identifying bed bugs, have more personal experience with the pests, and have reported them in online reviews much more often than leisure travelers.

When it comes to bed bugs, the hospitality industry is often caught between a "rock and a hard place," Potter said. "With high turnover of guests, occasional bed bug incidents in hotels are understandable, as in similar types of locations. Many hotel chains already take bed bugs seriously in terms of prevention and early detection. The current study further underscores the importance of being hyper-vigilant."

MEDIA CONTACT: Carl Nathe, 859-257-3200; carl.nathe@uky.edu.

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UK Research: Bed Bugs 'Bite' the Wallet of Hotel Owners ...

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Bed Bugs Forum

common name: bed bug scientific name: Cimex lectularius Linnaeus (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cimicidae) Introduction - Distribution - Description - Life Cycle - Survey and Management - Selected References Introduction (Back to Top)

Sometimes referred to as red coats, chinches, or mahogany flats (USDA 1976), bed bugs, Cimex lectularius Linnaeus, are blood-feeding parasites of humans, chickens, bats and occasionally domesticated animals (Usinger 1966). Bed bugs are suspected to carry leprosy, oriental sore, Q-fever, and brucellosis (Krueger 2000) but have never been implicated in the spread of disease to humans (Dolling 1991). After the development and use of modern insecticides, such as DDT, bed bug infestations have virtually disappeared. However, since 1995, pest management professionals have noticed an increase in bed-bug-related complaints (Krueger 2000).

Figure 1. Adult bed bug, Cimex lectularius Linnaeus, feeding. Photograph by Joseph Smith, University of Florida.

Human dwellings, bird nests, and bat caves are the most suitable habitats for bed bugs because they offer warmth, areas to hide, and hosts on which to feed (Dolling 1991). Bed bugs are not evenly distributed throughout the environment but are concentrated in harborages (Usinger 1966). Within human dwellings, harborages include cracks and crevices in walls and furniture, behind wallpaper and wood paneling, or under carpeting (Krueger 2000). Bed bugs are usually only active during the night but will feed during the day when hungry (Usinger 1966). Bed bugs can be transported on clothing, and in luggage, bedding and furniture (USDA 1976)/ Bed bugs lack appendages that allow them to cling to hair, fur, or feathers, so they are rarely found on hosts (Dolling 1991).

The adult bed bug is a broadly flattened, ovoid insect with greatly reduced wings (Schuh and Slater 1995). The leathery, reduced fore wings (hemelytra) are broader than they are long, with a somewhat rectangular appearance. The sides of the pronotum are covered with short, stiff hairs (Furman and Catts 1970). Before feeding, bed bugs are usually brown in color and range from 6 to 9.5 mm in length. After feeding, the body is swollen and red in color (USDA 1976).

Figure 2. Dorsal view of an adult bed bug, Cimex lectularius Linnaeus. Photograph by David Almquist, University of Florida.

Figure 3. Lateral view of an adult bed bug, Cimex lectularius Linnaeus. Photograph by Joseph Smith, University of Florida.

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bed bug - Cimex lectularius Linnaeus - University of Florida

Bowling Green is 48th on pest control company Orkins annual Bedbug Cities list.

Based on the number of treatments the company did in2014, the list is comprised of the 50 most bedbug-ridden cities in the United States. This is Bowling Greens first time on the list.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said bedbugs are small, flat parasitic insects that feed solely on the blood of people and animals while they sleep. They are reddish-brown in color, wingless, can range from 1 millimeter to 7 millimeters long and can live several months without a blood meal.

Theyre a quarter of an inch long and easily seen. Droplets of blood are found where bedbugs are hiding,said David Burton, environmental health program manager at the Barren River District Health Department. They are relatively easy to find if you take the time to look and know what youre looking for.

Bedbugs can be in places that are clean or those with poor sanitation,saidShellie Miller, branch manager at Orkin in Bowling Green.

Theyre very nondiscriminatory.They will reproduce anywhere, she said.All they do is eat blood. Thats all they need to survive.

The health department handles reports for bedbugs in hotels, motels and schools.

We inspect and issue operating permits. Bedbugs are listed as a nuisance in that they bite people and are hard to get rid of, Burton said. They hitch rides on your clothes and just about anywhere. Theyre not listed as a health hazard.

When environmentalists find bedbugs, they refer the business to a licensed pest control operator as well as to the Kentucky Department of Public Health website atchfs.ky.gov/dph/ or the CDC website at cdc.gov.

Theyre pretty common. You just have to be watchful, Burton said. Check the bed, bed covers, walls behind the furniture. Just be thorough.

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That bites! BG among worst bedbug cities

Health and Family Services Cabinet Be Aware of Bed Bugs

The Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) encourages Kenuckians to learn more about bed bugs, a pest that could be lurking in their homes.

During the 1940s and 1950s, the bed bug was a common pest in many homes, said Guy Delius, acting director for the division of public health protection and safety. Although annoying, the bed bug has not been known to carry disease.

The bed bug is a small, brownish insect that feeds on the blood of animals. It gets its name primarily because it is most active at night and often hides in the tuffs and folds of bedding. Reactions to the bite vary by individual but are generally mild, resulting in itching and swelling at the site of the bite. The most significant health concern stems from scratching the bite, which can lead to secondary infection in rare instances.

Signs that you may have a bed bug infestation include unexplained bites after sleeping; blood spotting or staining on mattresses or bedding; and the observance of insects or their discarded skeletal casings.

Public Health Commissioner William Hacker, M.D., recommends that people who think they may have a problem with bed bugs seek advice from their local health department or health care provider.

Accurate identification of the insect followed by treatment by a licensed pest control company is the most effective means for addressing bed bugs. DPH has developed information to help citizens understand more about these insects.

Additional information can be obtained from the local health department, area pest control specialists or the DPH Web site at http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/info/phps/enviromgmt.htm.

You may also call DPH staff members, Erica Brakefield, technical consultant in the environmental management branch, at (502) 564-4856, ext. 3732; or Vonia Grabeel, program administrator in the environmental management branch, at (502) 564-4856, ext. 3724.

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Kentucky.gov: - Bed Bugs 07