Whether it is Center City hotels or West Philly row-house rentals, stories of bed bugs are growing once more. Philadelphia is a travel hub in its own right, plus a college town is a perfect stimulus package for unwanted guests. Each year, more than 120,000 college students descend on the city, and millions of tourists stop by landmarks such as Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.
In this post, we will explain how bed bugs are spreading throughout Philadelphia′s hospitality and shared housing industries, precisely why they do so, and what property managers can do to protect their investment. In cases of larger infestations, it becomes necessary to call in Philadelphia pest control near me for the best results.
Why Are Bed Bugs Making a Comeback in Philly?
Philadelphia’s increasing bed bug concerns have several reasons. With so many people visiting for tourism, conventions, and major sports events, there are plenty of opportunities for hitchhikers to come along for the ride. More than 3 million people go to Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field each year, and many of them stay in nearby hotels or short-term rentals.
Bed bugs replicate faster than virtually anything else and, thanks to heavy turnover, can repopulate a room in an Airbnb or off-campus residence before some people even take notice of an issue. These pests have become resistant to most over-the-counter pesticides, rendering DIY treatments nearly ineffective. Philadelphia continues to be ranked among the top 20 cities for bed bug infestations across the nation in recent pest control industry reports.
How Bed Bugs Spread in Hotels, Hostels & Shared Housing?
Bed Bugs can spread in hotels, hostels, and shared spaces at a rapid rate. Here’s how:
Hotel Transmission Patterns
Because hotel guests travel with luggage from various locations, hotels face a unique set of challenges in managing luggage disposal. Luggage hides inside suitcases, backpacks, and clothing and gets moved from room to room on housekeeping carts and even through adjoining rooms.
Shared Housing Vulnerabilities
Philadelphia is full of college students each semester, and these massive moves happen in College towns across America. Students often bring used furniture, mattresses, and other possessions that could have bed bugs when they move in and out of shared housing. Bed bug turnover rates in West Philadelphia exceed 80%, giving optimal conditions for bed bugs to become established.
Short-Term Rental Risks
Like hotels, short-term rentals face these challenges, but they often do not have the advantage of trained housekeeping staff. Fast turnover times between guests and inconsistent cleaning practices help bed bugs get a foothold before property owners have any idea that a problem exists. And owners of short-term rentals in neighborhoods such as Northern Liberties or Fishtown may not be the most detail-oriented homeowners when it comes to inspecting between guests.
Why is it necessary for a Professional To Intervene?
There are a few major flags that show it is time to reach for outside help. Finding several different bite marks on guests or tenants, dark stains on mattresses or pieces of furniture, or smelling a sweet or musty odor in the bedrooms may cause the infestation to be worse than a DIY job. If you see blood on the sheets, rusty stains on the mattress seams, or actual bugs moving along the walls during the day, that is a red alert.
Trained pest control companies like Presto Pest Control are aware of the behavior of bed bugs and how to institute a bed bug treatment plan with an integrated approach. These systems combine heat treatments, targeted chemical application, and monitoring systems to wipe out whole populations. Experts also pinpoint every hiding site and are capable of treating even interconnected spaces in the older buildings of Philadelphia, preventing the bug from just moving to neighboring units.
