Travel and tourism is one of the biggest industries in the world, has been for a long time, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. Each year thousands upon thousands of people travel for vacation, to visit friends and family, for work, and even for medical procedures. There are countless reasons to travel and, no matter why you are hitting the road, the chances are high that you may find yourself in a hotel or similar nightly rental lodging. Hotels provide convenient temporary abodes, and there is one for every budget and style of traveler. However, no matter the hotel, pest control is a necessary item to consider for all hotel owners and managers. With so many visitors coming and going, hotels run the risk of also playing host to a number of pests. Thankfully, with proper preparation and awareness, mitigating the risks of pests in your hotel is not that difficult. Continue reading for recommendations from The X-Terminators on how to best keep your hotel pest free.
There are a number of pests that can wreak havoc on a hotel, and as a hotel owner or manager you should be familiar with the most common varieties. Bed bugs are arguably the most common and problematic. These little insects can travel the world on clothing and luggage and invest a hotel in a matter of seconds. Cockroaches are equally common and can find their way into your building in many ways. As warmer temperatures hit, ant problems also become relatively common in many hotels. Finally rodents are frequent visitors to many hotels, and we typically see numbers increase in the colder months as these pests search out a warm place to winter. Thankfully, The X-Terminators have many methods to deal with such problems. As a hotel owner or manager, however, it is your responsibility to identify which pests you may be dealing with and use preventative measures to stop the issue before it begins.
The best way to keep pests at bay is to stay one step ahead of them. You and your staff should keep a keen eye out for signs of pests and should conduct scheduled, more detailed, inspections to be extra thorough. Many hotels and businesses have developed pest management strategies that provide guidelines on what to look for and the best preventative measures to implement on a regular basis. Consider doing a thorough walkabout of your property and identifying vulnerable areas that could be improved. Patching holes or cracks in the walls, ensuring that food waste is being disposed of properly, and eliminating excess moisture build up near faucets and drains can all pay dividends when it comes to pest control.
Ultimately, your front line staff will have a much better pulse on pest problems and prevention than anyone else coming through the hotel. Your team sees their workspace everyday and should have a keen eye for unusual observations. As such, it is essential you train them on what to look for in terms of pest signs. Even more important, however, is that they are engaging in the best pest control practices for their specific position. Training your staff on thorough cleaning techniques and simple things like keeping doors closed will go a long way in terms of pest prevention.
If a pest problem does arise in your hotel, treat it as the serious problem that it is. While the immediate headache and potential bad publicity may seem like a hassle, the quicker you deal with it the faster it will be resolved and you can resume standard operations. By letting pest problems linger, they will only become worse. A couple breeding pairs of mice can turn into a hundred real quick, and the same goes for all of the little insect invaders. At the first sign of a potential pest problem, call in an expert for a second opinion. If it is indeed a problem, our team at The X-Terminators will work tirelessly to eliminate it as quickly and affordably as possible. If you experienced a false alarm, then our staff can help train you on what else to be looking for. You can then rest easy knowing that your hotel is operating as it should – pest free!
Each year thousands of people travel the world for countless different reasons. Of these thousands, many are utilizing the convenience and comfort of hotels for their temporary home on the road. Given the complexity of constantly changing visitors and the multifaceted operations of hotel management, pests have many opportunities to make themselves visitors as well. By following the steps above and working with the experts at The X-Terminators, you can ensure that your hotel will always have more guests than pests!