A fortnight prior, anxious whispers hovered around the Montlhery Paris Sud Hotel, 15 kilometers south of Paris. The reason? A chilling encounter with a bedbug, as recounted by proprietor Max Malka. As per him, the presence of these intrusive pests was not just an intimidating thought but also posed a potential threat of lawsuits if a guest was subjected to a severe bite.
The issue is anything but isolated, with numerous businesses today seeking out numerous technological interventions both old and new to catch early outbreaks, a critical step toward halting further proliferation. This escalating public anxiety around pests has placed pressure on entities such as hotels, transport services, and local governments, leading to numerous inquiries into possible solutions.
As the epidemic continues to surge impacting both France and the UK, notable pest control corporations such as Rentokil report a significant 65% spike in bedbug cases in the UK during the second quarter of 2023, as compared to the previous year. Simultaneously, the Luton Council has been grappling with an alarming rate of bedbug reports, even issuing guidance on how to manage such outbreaks.
According to Malka, Parisian hotels are vulnerable to an annual bedbug encounter, often brought in unknowingly by guests, particularly around the summer season. In response, he employed a pest control company for a steep €1,500 (£1,300), effectively eliminating the pests before they could cause further harm.
Malka’s additional investment in a novel monitoring technology developed by UK start-up, Spotta, allowed him early bedbug detection. This innovative device was a small plastic box containing a pheromone chemical designed to attract bedbugs, positioned strategically between mattresses and bed frames in hotels.
This ingenious method, as pointed out by Robert Fryers, boss of Spotta, serves a dual purpose. Not only does it ensure monitoring and early detection, its bolstered by an AI software that, upon capturing an image of a potential bedbug, sends it to a central database for verification. In the event of confirmation, instant mobile alerts are issued to the relevant managers.
Finland’s Valpas embarked on this early-detection route in 2013. With digital bug trap designs, it raised more than $2m (£1.6m) in venture capital funding. As bedbugs attempt to ascend the bed to bite humans, they are trapped and an online signal quickly sent to the hotel owners.
Difficult as it is to comfortably discuss “pest control”, the exposure of bedbug issues on social media persuades many hotel chains to display their proactive approaches. This could include traditional methods, such as sniffer dogs specializing in bedbug detection, or high-tech solutions.
Entities like Rentokil are even exploring unusual avenues like sniffer dogs, collecting air samples from potential areas to detect the presence of bedbugs. According to Paul Blackhurst of Rentokil Pest Control’s Technical Academy, these trained dogs are effective in detecting bedbugs long before humans can spot any signs.
Despite assurances by trade group UK Hospitality, who claim robust cleaning and hygiene processes are in place, stories of recurring outbreaks incite worry in an already financially strained industry. Indeed, there is tension between the costs of implementing these detection systems versus the potential loss of revenue from a bedbug outbreak.
In Spotta’s case, they even track reviews on TripAdvisor to identify potential customers by monitoring complaints about bedbugs. With hotel businesses already burdened by emerging issues such as the pandemic and cost-of-living insecurities, the fight against bedbugs requires continued vigilance and technical innovation.
