August 2010 Developments - 28

Resort Management
Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite You…in Court!
Christian Hardigree, a University of Nevada law professor who is an expert on bed bug legal issues, reports that litigation with bed bugs is on the rise. Hardigree encourages resort developers and managers to understand the law as it relates to bed bugs. Additionally, she counsels clients to have an action plan in place, train employees to detect bed bugs, and know how bed bugs work (when bites can appear and what they look like). “Owners and managers not only need to have a proactive plan in place to help mitigate potential implications related to a bed bug lawsuit, they need to defend legal claims when they are brought against a property.” According to Hardigree, some of the grounds on which people have sued over bed bugs include rentals of a home or hotel room when the owner or property manager knew of an infestation and did not try to protect the customer. “Even if a case doesn’t go to litigation, properties have to spend money defending claims. Depending on the response plan that is in place, you may have to cover the expense of replacing all of the individual’s belongings,” she says. “Add to those costs public relations and loss rental income, and you have one expensive problem.” To protect themselves against lawsuits, Hardigree counsels clients to be able to demonstrate that they have taken every reasonable and practical measure to: • Have a comprehensive follow-up program to prevent re-infestation and spread to surrounding guest rooms, • Have procedures for dealing with guests and their belongings, • Detect infestations as quickly as possible, and • Respond quickly and appropriately to infestations that have been identified. lifetime. A blood meal is required between each stage. As the immature bed bugs develop, they continue to become larger and darker until reaching adulthood. Under favorable conditions (70-90°F), bed bugs can complete development (from egg to adult) in one and half to two months. Cool temperatures or limited access to food may extend the developmental period. Adults will typically live for just under a year. “Essentially, bed bugs are primarily nocturnal insects and lead a very cryptic lifestyle. As a result, they are often present for weeks or even months before a single bug is ever seen by the occupants of an infested structure,” White says. “They live in cracks and crevices associated with bed frames, head boards, mattresses, and box springs. However, they also will disperse away from the bed and can live between or beneath floorboards, carpeting, under decorative moldings, in or under furniture, behind picture frames, inside wall voids, etc.” According to White, there is virtually no crack too small for this insect to occupy. It is from these secluded cracks and crevices that the bugs emerge during the nighttime hours to feed on their sleeping host. While the bites are typically painless and can go undetected, they can result in itchy or painful welts—not to mention the psychological trauma a victim often endures. “Bed bugs differ from many other blood feeding pests in that all developmental stages and both sexes feed on blood,” White says. “Once they have fed, they return back to their hidden resting places. In the absence of a host, bed bugs can continue to survive for many months.” In fact, White says, it has been reported that in some lab studies, bed bugs can survive a year or more without feeding. Additionally, the ability to detect bed bugs during the early stages of an infestation when only a few bugs are present is absolutely critical for properties to effectively protect against a widespread infestation. Many resort managers and owners are choosing to proactively encase their mattress and box springs as an essential tool in a prevention plan. Encasements serve many purposes: they salvage infested bedding and protect new bedding while decreasing the scope of an infestation. Bed bug-proof encasements also make the signs of bed bugs easily visible on the outside of an encasement, which prompts housekeeping personnel to spot them and quickly alert pest control technicians. The technicians can then address the infestation in a timely manner before it escalates. The key is to use encasements in conjunction with a simple housekeeping and management training program. Owners and managers should work together to develop this plan of attack and train employees. Steps to follow include: (1) Housekeeping training on the signs of infestations and procedures to follow; (2) How to handle guests and their belongings if bed bugs are found in their rental; (3) Checklist of inspection procedures and documentation of when they occur; and (4) A service agreement with a pest control company who is an expert in bed bug infestations—this company should conduct more intensive inspections periodically and also be qualified to handle any infestations when they occur.

Addressing an Infestation
In the event that bed bugs are discovered in a unit by an owner or guest, having a plan in place is crucial for the resort to preserve its reputation and stem lawsuits. This action plan could include these key steps: (1) Notify housekeeping. (2) Determine where the occupant is
Continues on page 45

Preventing an Infestation
Bed bugs are regarded as one of the most challenging pest problems. Therefore, awareness is key: the more property managers—and their housekeeping staff—are aware of bed bugs and what to look for, the less likely they will expose the property to an infestation.

Developments • August 2010

August 2010 Developments

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2010 Developments