ย 15% discount on all bed bug heat treatment services.
30 Days Complete Eradication Guarantee*
ย 15% discount on all bed bug heat treatment services.
30 Days Complete Eradication Guarantee*
By ThermoPest โ Your Local Pest Control Experts
Hotels have always been places of comfort and refuge, whether you’re seeking a night’s rest after a long journey or a luxurious stay in a bustling city. But, throughout history, thereโs been one guest whoโs always overstayed their welcomeโbed bugs. As long as there have been hotels, inns, and places of lodging, these little pests have found a way to sneak in and cause havoc.
Even the grandest hotels werenโt immune to infestations. From medieval taverns to Victorian luxury establishments, bed bugs have always been an issue. So, letโs take a look back at how bed bugs infiltrated some of the most iconic hotels throughout history and how people managed to fight them off.
Imagine stopping for the night at a medieval inn. There are no plush mattresses or private roomsโjust straw-stuffed beds, often shared with strangers. It wasnโt exactly the most sanitary of places, and thatโs exactly the kind of environment bed bugs thrived in.
Back in medieval times, inns and taverns were not known for cleanliness. Travellers from far and wide would share beds, often in cramped, poorly ventilated rooms. With such a high turnover of guests, bed bugs could easily spread from one bed to the next. And with no real cleaning practices in place, these pests could stick around for ages. Itโs no surprise that bed bug infestations were commonplace in inns across Europe.
Fast forward to the Victorian era, and the world of travel had started to change. Hotels became grander, catering to wealthier travellers who expected comfort and luxury. But even the most upscale Victorian hotels had their fair share of bed bug problems. Fancy sheets and feather mattresses were no match for these pests, which would hitch a ride in luggage or hide in the nooks and crannies of wooden bed frames.
Bed bugs werenโt just a problem for ordinary folksโsome of the most famous hotels in history dealt with infestations that made headlines. Take New Yorkโs opulent hotels of the late 19th century, for example. With the rise of luxury travel, these establishments were flooded with guests, and bed bugs were quick to take advantage of the high traffic.
Even hotels frequented by celebrities werenโt safe. There are stories from the early 1900s of stars checking into lavish hotels only to wake up covered in itchy bites. These pests didnโt care how much you paid for a room or how fancy the establishment was. Once they were in, they were tough to get rid of.
Back in the day, a bed bug infestation could destroy a hotelโs reputation. In the pre-internet era, word of mouth was everything. Guests who suffered bites during their stay were likely to tell everyone they knew, which could be devastating for a hotelโs business. The stigma around bed bugs wasnโt newโitโs been around for centuries. People associated these pests with uncleanliness, so a hotel with a bed bug problem could quickly find itself losing guests.
Imagine travelling long distances, finally arriving at your hotel, only to discover your bed is crawling with bugs. It doesnโt take long for that kind of news to spread. And while todayโs review platforms let disgruntled guests share their experiences online, back then, it was just as damaging when unhappy guests passed the news along by word of mouth.
So, how did hotels try to get rid of these pests in the past? Well, before the development of modern pesticides, the methods were… letโs say, creative. In the medieval period, innkeepers used smoke and fire in an attempt to drive out bed bugs. Burning herbs or creating smoky fires in rooms was believed to repel the pests, but as you can imagine, this wasnโt exactly effectiveโor pleasant for guests.
By the 19th and early 20th centuries, fumigation became a bit more refined. Hotels would use sulphur candles or even arsenic-based solutions to try and kill off bed bugs. But as you might guess, these methods were dangerous and didnโt always work. It wasnโt until the widespread use of DDT in the mid-20th century that hotels had a reliable weapon against bed bugs. However, we now know the environmental impact of DDT, which led to its eventual ban.
While weโve come a long way in terms of pest control, even modern hotelsโespecially older, historic onesโarenโt entirely off the hook. Today, many of these historical hotels are still facing challenges when it comes to bed bugs. Their charming, old-world architecture, complete with vintage furniture and thick carpets, can provide the perfect hiding spots for these persistent pests.
But that doesnโt mean these grand hotels are doomed. Modern pest control techniques have made it possible to tackle infestations without compromising the integrity or beauty of historic properties. Heat treatments, K9 detection dogs, and eco-friendly pesticides are all used to combat bed bugs without damaging the historic features that make these hotels so special.
Itโs clear that bed bugs have always been an issue in hotels, from medieval inns to modern-day establishments. These tiny pests have plagued travellers and hoteliers alike for centuries, causing sleepless nights and tarnishing reputations. But while bed bugs have evolved, so have our methods for dealing with them.
At ThermoPest, we understand that bed bugs are more than just a nuisanceโtheyโre a serious problem that can impact the comfort and reputation of any hotel. Whether youโre staying in a charming historic inn or a sleek modern hotel, you deserve a pest-free experience. If youโre worried about bed bugs, whether at home or in your business, give us a call. Weโre here to help keep your space bed bug-free, no matter how big or small the infestation!
