How Much Bed Bugs Could Cost You & Your Business?

For decades, bed bugs have caused damage to reputations, lawsuits, and costly failed attempts at DIY and chemical treatments, emptying home and business owners’ pockets around the country.

Each year, more court cases claiming “negligence” against property managers and hotel/motel owners pop up. These claims cost business owners a lot in settlements, damaging their reputation, sometimes beyond repair. As a business owner, you must have a plan for detecting and eliminating bed bugs in place.

Read on to learn about the damage bed bugs can do to businesses and how to deal with them if you’re faced with an infestation.  

The Cost of Bed Bugs in Hotels and Motels

The number of lawsuits involving bed bugs rises each year. Hundreds of companies without an appropriate plan are having to pay thousands of dollars in negligence claims.

In one recent case, a woman was awarded $100,000 in a lawsuit against a Red Roof Inn (RRI), in one of the highest amounts paid to an individual in a bed bug-related case. The woman stayed at RRI for just one night but was left with bites all over her arms and hands. The $100,000 was awarded to cover the customer’s medical bills, plus the undue stress caused by the bed bug attack.

The case stated that RRI management was aware of the bed bug issue and didn’t resolve it. Staff didn’t even search the affected room before advertising it again. While the customer’s medical costs were nowhere near $100,000, the court ordered such a high figure to make an example of the hotel chain.  

The Importance of Knowing How to Identify and Treat Bed Bugs

When it comes to costly mistakes that business owners can make, the highest cost is that of human life. When landlords and property management companies do not educate their tenants on the proper procedure when met with a bed bug problem, the results can be tragic, particularly true in low-income multi-housing areas.

In one heartbreaking story in Detroit in 2015, a tenant was trying to rid her apartment of bed bugs but wasn’t properly educated on how to do so safely. The tenant’s block had been plagued by bed bugs for years, and she had attempted to heat her apartment in an attempt to kill them. She turned on the oven, turned up her furnace, and spread flammable liquids on her furniture and carpets.

This lack of information and access to professional pest exterminators forced this resident to try dangerous DIY methods. Tragically, the whole block ended up ablaze, with over two dozen families losing their homes. 

Early Detection is Key

The global bed bug population is constantly growing, businesses need to have a simple and comprehensive plan in place. There’s little you can do to prevent bed bugs from traveling to your business, but there’s plenty you can do to ensure no infestation can take hold.

Your bed bug plan should include educating residents and employees, inspecting property regularly, and practicing safe elimination methods. With the Convectex Heat Systems, you can safely and effectively get rid of bed bugs in six to eight hours. We can also help you train your staff or tenants in detection and notification procedures in the event of an infestation. 

Our heat packages give business owners everything they need to prevent bed bugs. It included training and educational materials plus heat equipment, so you can regularly treat rooms and keep your business bed-bug free.