Hotels, like all other commercial properties, can be susceptible to unwanted pest guests. With the amount of staff and guests that are constantly going in and out of the building, infestations are almost guaranteed to happen at some point. By identifying the signs of pest and wildlife activity in your hotel before guests complain and write negative reviews online, you’ll be saving yourself the headache of unnecessary, stressful situations. Many species of pests can reproduce rapidly, which makes the need to stay on top of infestations even more important.
Check for the following clues that pests are lurking in your hotel.
- Bed bugs are notorious hotel pests can be detrimental to your reputation and bottom line. Train your cleaning staff to look for the signs of bed bug activity. This can include marks that look like brown spots or small marks from a permanent marker, located on bedding and bed frames. These are bed bug droppings; a surefire indicator of an active infestation. Reported bed bug sightings or bite marks are also things that should be taken very seriously.
- Frayed wiring, gnaw marks, nests, and damage can indicate a number of wildlife issues including birds, bats, and squirrels. These are not pests you want to try to eliminate on your own. Always contact a pest control professional to handle wildlife infestations for you.
- Check your kitchen. Pests are especially drawn to food, so commercial kitchens, buffets, and break rooms can be a treasure trove for various insects and rodents. Examine your stored products for holes, tears, or other damage to the packaging. Rodents are notorious for getting into easily penetrable containers like cereal boxes and other improperly sealed food items. One of the worst things you can find are eggs, larvae, or pupae in or around food products. This could be from pantry pests such as moths and weevils.
- Shed skin or exoskeletons found on floors, shelving, in cabinets, under appliances, or within cracks and crevices could indicate cockroach activity. This should always be taken seriously and dealt with as fast as possible with the help of a pest control professional.
- Although spiders don’t typically live in large groups, their presence could indicate that other pests are in the area. Common indoor spiders primarily feed on smaller insects. You may find webs or see actual spiders around the hotel.
- Rodent droppings can be found anywhere an infestation exists. Mouse poop looks like dark brown grains of rice. They can be found behind appliances, in cabinets and closets, attics, crawl spaces, and kitchens. If you find droppings, act quickly before a guest or employee does.
- Piles of wood shavings can be a sign of carpenter ants, while mud tubes can signal termite activity. Often found along cracks, under flooring, near baseboards or on pipes and plumbing fixtures, mud tubes are usually about the diameter of a drinking straw and have a flat appearance. Hollow wood can also indicate termite or carpenter ant activity.
- Foreign, unpleasant scents could be coming from pests. Droppings, urine, or deceased wildlife can emit terrible smells, disturbing employees and guests. Large groups of cockroaches can also create musty odors.
- Oily or greasy marks on walls and floorboards cause by rodent activity, called “rub marks”, can appear when there is an infestation.
- Squirrels and other wildlife can easily get stuck in wall voids or nest in attics. If your employees or guests complain about scratching noises coming from the ceiling or walls, it could be from squirrels or other rodents.
- Toppled garbage cans and torn open trash bags can also signify wildlife or rodent activity. Pests like raccoons and squirrels will jump right into an open dumpster to feed on anything they can find.
Never ignore the signs of pest activity, even if you are unsure about what you find. The earlier you can spot an infestation, the better chance you’ll have at eliminating it quickly. Don’t delay or try DIY. You can’t afford to have costly mistakes and further aggravate the situation.
Your best defense against pests and wildlife in your hotel is a professional pest control plan. Cooper Pest Solutions can prevent and eliminate pests in your hotel with our commercial pest management services. Our dedicated professionals have decades of experience with hotel pest control and are ready to assist you at any time. Please give us a call at 800-949-2667 or fill out the contact form on this page to set up a free consultation at your hotel today.
