Think again. Bed bugs are no laughing matter… even though they played a role in NBC’s hit show “30 Rock” in November when Alec Baldwin’s character Jack had a bed bug infestation of his own. He was humorously ostracized at work, forced to take the subway instead of the company car and heckled by his coworkers for having “a bad case of the chew-daddies.”

While watching the Nightly News on NBC last night, another story ran on these little creatures. (Click here to view.) Turns out that the population of bed bugs has risen 500% in recent years and that one out of four hotel rooms has had an infestation.

From the National Pest Management Association’s site pestworld.org, below are some FAQ’s on bed bugs:

Why are bed bugs so hard to treat?
Bed bugs should not be equated with filth or sanitation problems – in hotels or in homes. Bed bugs are very elusive, transient and nocturnal pests. They can live for a year or more without eating and can withstand a wide range of temperatures. Bed bugs can be controlled with vigilance, constant inspection and treatment by a professional.

Why are bed bugs an issue for hotels, visitors and homeowners?
Bed bugs leave itchy, bloody welts on human skin. Once inside a hotel or home, bed bugs spread rapidly from room to room – through pipes, in vacuum cleaners, on clothing and luggage. In a hotel, bed bugs can even spread to neighboring rooms.

Are bed bugs just in beds?
Bed bugs are not just in beds. They can be in chair cushions, sofas, behind electrical outlets, cracks and crevices around baseboards, or even behind picture frames. In other words, they can live pretty much anywhere.

What can you do to protect yourself from bed bug infestations?
When staying at a hotel, inspect the mattress, bedding, headboard and nightstands thoroughly. And when returning from a trip, check your luggage and clothing.

Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.

It’s a common rhyme most children know. But are bed bugs something you think of TODAY? If they aren’t, they should be.

Maybe you thought of them as a thing of the past. Well, they were. You see, pesticides pretty much wiped them out in the 1950′s. However, pesticides only took care of them in modern, populated areas. They continued to be a problem in underdeveloped countries.

Fast forward to today. Global travel is the “in” thing to do.  Guests are visiting remote locations where bed bugs are able to thrive and they’re bringing them back. Travelers from around the country and world are acting as first-class tickets for these hitch hikers. Bed bugs can be found in planes, trains, buses, depots, terminals, hotels, motels and bed & breakfasts. Students from all over are experiencing bed bugs in college dorms, and sometimes they’re even bringing them home or spreading them to hotels. So what does this mean for the hospitality industry? It means that once again, bed bugs are something to be on the lookout for.

The thing is, there is no easy way to prevent bed bugs from getting in.  And here’s why – when guests stay in a hotel room that has bed bugs, they might pick up a bed bug or two in their suitcase or clothing. That luggage or t-shirt acts as the bed bug’s one way ticket into the next hotel room they stay in. That hotel room is then infected and the cycle continues.

So, what should you do? As there is currently no known prevention for bed bugs, the first thing you can do is train your staff to check for early signs of bed bug activity.  Dark spots and blood stains on mattresses, sheets and pillow cases and headboards and baseboards are all things to look for. If you think you might have bed bugs in your facility or would like to train your staff on how to spot a bed bug infestation call us at 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739).

Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.

It’s a common rhyme most children know. But are bed bugs something you think of TODAY? If they aren’t, they should be.

Maybe you thought of them as a thing of the past. Well, they were. You see, pesticides pretty much wiped them out in the 1950′s. However, pesticides only took care of them in modern, populated areas. They continued to be a problem in underdeveloped countries.

Fast forward to today. Global travel is the “in” thing to do.  Guests are visiting remote locations where bed bugs are able to thrive and they’re bringing them back. Travelers from around the country and world are acting as first-class tickets for these hitch hikers. Bed bugs can be found in planes, trains, buses, depots, terminals, hotels, motels and bed & breakfasts. Students from all over are experiencing bed bugs in college dorms, and sometimes they’re even bringing them home or spreading them to hotels. So what does this mean for the hospitality industry? It means that once again, bed bugs are something to be on the lookout for.

The thing is, there is no easy way to prevent bed bugs from getting in.  And here’s why – when guests stay in a hotel room that has bed bugs, they might pick up a bed bug or two in their suitcase or clothing. That luggage or t-shirt acts as the bed bug’s one way ticket into the next hotel room they stay in. That hotel room is then infected and the cycle continues.

So, what should you do? As there is currently no known prevention for bed bugs, the first thing you can do is train your staff to check for early signs of bed bug activity.  Dark spots and blood stains on mattresses, sheets and pillow cases and headboards and baseboards are all things to look for. If you think you might have bed bugs in your facility or would like to train your staff on how to spot a bed bug infestation call us at 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739).

Don't let bed bugs take up residence in your hotel!

Bed bugs can get into ANY structure, so the potential for a 5 star luxury resort to have bed bugs is similar to that of an economy hotel. Why you may ask? Well… because unlike ant and roach populations, bed bug infestations are not impacted by the level of sanitation.

So how do bed bugs get in? They are almost always introduced by humans. So when guests arrive for a stay, they may be unintentionally bringing more than just their toothbrush and socks. They may also bring bed bugs that snuck in from a previous night’s hotel stay or their own homes.

Since there’s no known prevention for bed bugs, the most important step a hotel operator can take to manage bed bugs is to train their room staff. Teaching cleaning and maintenance personnel to look for early signs of bed bug activity is your best bet. Taking corrective action is much easier before the population becomes larger and more difficult to eliminate.

Inspect For Bed Bugs

How to detect Bed Bugs:

• Mattresses
• Sheets and Pillow Cases
• Headboards and baseboards

Do’s and Don’ts when Bed bugs are spotted:

• Tell a supervisor
• Bag and seal all bedding
• Secure the room

• Remove bedding from the room
• Make the bed
• Remove any furniture

If you are concerned about the threat of bed bugs in your facility or would like more information on training your staff to spot bed bugs, call us at 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739).

Industry leader to introduce bed bug solution at PestWorld conferencein D.C.

Massey Services, a leading service provider in the pest management industry, and Chromalox, a leading manufacturer of precision heat and control products, have recently joined forces to introduce the most innovative bed bug remediation solution in the industry. The ThermEx program will be unveiled at the 2008 National Pest Management Association’s annual PestWorld conference in October. This partnership matches the engineering and design capabilities of Chromalox with the pest management program development and training expertise of Massey Services.

Given the dramatic rise in bed bug infestation cases affecting hotels, college dormitories, hospitals, nursing homes, military bases and more, this partnership to develop a revolutionary bed bug heat remediation program has come at the right time. The comprehensive ThermEx treatment package includes a custom heating unit, manufactured by Chromalox, plus sophisticated technical training provided by Massey Services, the company who created the pest prevention service model that has successfully swept the pest management industry.

Research has shown that heat is a more effective method for treating bed bugs rather than residual products. This is due to the bed bugs’ ability to hide in every crack and crevice in a room. Additionally, it is difficult to apply a product that will reach the entire bed bug population and residual products will not affect the eggs. Heat remediation treatment typically only takes 48 hours to eliminate an entire bed bug population while a residual treatment can take up to 12 weeks to work effectively.

“We have focused on the development of a complete bed bug treatment for hotels and multi-unit housing to resolve the ongoing bed bug problem,” saidTom Jarzynka, Technical and Training Director for Massey Services PrevenTech Commercial Pest Prevention division. “Our strategic partnership places both companies in a unique position to serve both the pest management industry and residential,hospitality and health care property owners/managers.”

Massey Services and Chromalox will host a hospitality suite and booth at PestWorld, held October 22 through 25, 2008 in Washington D.C.,to demonstrate and discuss the ThermEx program.

About Massey Services

Massey Services is one of the nation’s largest and most respected service companies. Massey Services and its subsidiary organizations provide residential and commercial pest prevention, termite protection and landscape services to more than 185,000 customers from 61 service centers throughout Florida, Georgia and Louisiana.For more information about Massey Services, please visit masseyservices.com.

About Chromalox, Inc.

For more than 90 years, customers have relied on Chromaloxfor the utmost in quality and innovative solutions for commercial and industrial heatingapplications. Chromalox manufactures electric heat and control products, including heating components, immersionheaters, circulation systems, heat transfer systems, boilers, industrial and comfort air heating, heattrace cables, sensors and precision electronic controls. With multiple manufacturing, engineering,warehousing and sales locations throughout North America,Europe and Asia, Chromalox is a globalsupplier providing the highest level of customer support. Chromalox is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. For more information about Chromalox, please visit chromalox.com