The zero tourism caused by COVID-19 meant a stop in its proliferation, but the bug has returned to pre-pandemic levels this year to stay on mattresses and sofas due to the continuous traffic of travelers in the Archipelago. With the beginning of the high season on the Islands, workers in the hotel sector inevitably face a new challenge: annihilating any possible sign of the insect. It is a dark red specimen, about four or five millimeters long and with a very flattened body that sucks blood, leaving it in the skin. irritating bites.
The bed bug was considered almost eradicated since the middle of the last century. However, with the increase in international travel, they have managed to be transported easily in their own luggage. He technical director of Seranca (Rentokil Initial company), Luis Calderón, has declared to NOTICE DIARY that “with the upswing in movements it is once again a major problem”, mainly in places as busy – touristically speaking – as the Canary Islands community. “The insect moves with travelers’ suitcases, which is why most countries with a significant influx of people suffer from this plague,” explains the expert, who, in turn, advocates training plans for airport workers. cleaners who carry out their work in tourist accommodation: “The ideal is for hotels to have a series of preventive guidelines to prevent its spread, such as avoiding putting strollers in the rooms or sharing mattresses and bed bases, as well as specialized preparation to notice any trace”.
The person in charge of the company specialized in pest control in the Canary Islands emphasizes that knowing how to locate any trace of the bedbug is key to controlling its reproduction, for example, “with the appearance of blackish spots generated by the excrement of this species in the form adult”, whether in beds, headboards and even nightstands. And when the customer of a hotel establishment usually complains, the proliferation of the insect “is in an advanced phase.” Calderón explains that “there is 50 percent of the population that does not react to the bite of the bedbug – inflamed cluster-shaped spots that cause itching – but in cases where they do, this usually manifests itself within 24 hours,” so it is difficult to locate the focus. Furthermore, its moment favorite The day to attack is during the night, coinciding with rest periods.
Asked about the disinfection protocol, the technical director indicates that “the first thing we do is confirm if there really is a bed bug problem with trained personnel; We even use trained dogs for it.” Once the focus is located, “we block the room or tourist apartment to determine the treatment it requires,” either a chemical solution, using insecticides, or physical, applying heat, and depending on its severity, a combination of treatments can be applied. both.
In this regard, the room is left unusable “between 10 and 12 days during the sanitation”, while carrying out meticulous monitoring so that the infestation does not affect the adjacent rooms. The bed bug does not understand stars or great luxuries, so its proliferation can occur in any hotel establishment if a considerable number of tourists attend.
Taking into account the roadmap applied in Seranca, the economic losses are considerable. In a selection of ten 4 and 5 star hotels located in the south of Tenerife, through the reservation platform Booking, the average price per night this coming month of January is approximately 300 euros – a date that coincides with the most important tourist season in the Archipelago. If 5 percent of the rooms in a 200 hotel are blocked by a bedbug infestation, that complex would have a loss of about 36,000 euros. The good news is that the bed bug does not transmit diseases, despite the annoyance that its bite causes for some people (pain, burning and itching).
The pest control company reiterates the importance of having prevention mechanisms that involve specialized and qualified personnel: “We have provided training to different hotel chains and, of course, we will be willing to collaborate with any public administration in the Archipelago that requires our services”.
However, the insect problem not only harms the hotels on the Island, but also any home, “where the multiple decorative elements make its treatment more complicated and expensive,” adds Calderón, who recognizes that its incidence in the centers hospitals “is something that really worries the authorities.”
Be that as it may, the bed bug has returned to the Canary Islands with the bustle of bags, suitcases and luggage to lodge in the most remote fabrics. A problem that, according to the expert, “is not something to worry about, but something to take care of.”
