Revenge of the bed bug: What lies ahead for summer 2022?

An expected pandemic lull

When commercial businesses shuttered their doors in 2020, pest control professionals across North America saw a precipitous drop in calls for bed bug service. In February 2021, the National Pest Management Association’s staff entomologist Brittany Campbell told Bloomberg: “I’ve talked to multiple pest control companies, who have said that they have had reduced calls over 2020 for bed bug jobs.”

With significantly reduced traffic, bed bug calls from hotels dropped. Educational facilities, such as colleges and universities, went to remote learning, dramatically reducing calls for service and the risk of bed bug introduction by students. Office staff stayed home, minimizing the chances of bed bugs being introduced. Healthcare facilities were laser-focused on COVID care, with many restricting access for facilities to all but staff and patients.

As pest management professionals know, the bed bug problems did not disappear. In commercial spaces, some of these biting pests retreated into hiding to wait until their victims returned. In other cases, bed bugs lived in residences with people. And with COVID spreading, many consumers were hesitant to have anyone in their home, including pest control professionals, perhaps leaving bed bug issues to grow.

A slow return to normal

When businesses began to reopen their doors in summer 2021, bed bug activity also saw a bounce back. PCT Magazine reported in November 2021 that some pest management providers saw a slow return normal with intermittent spikes in bed bug activity in the residential segment, especially in summer and fall. The same report offered evidence that some commercial segments saw a big bounce back, with healthcare facilities such as nursing homes and hospitals increasing calls for service, while others such as offices remained relatively stagnant as workers continued in a new work from home environment.

What does "revenge travel" in 2022 mean for bed bugs?

What lies ahead in 2022? It's hard to predict, but all signs point toward a consumer base that's eager to travel, and that could mean a surge in bed bug activity. In fact, travel experts and social media influencers have coined a new phrase: "revenge travel." The buzzword is being used to describe the post-pandemic mindset that many people have adopted of getting back out into the world and taking the big trips that they've always wanted to take or put off due to travel restrictions.

A number of travel companies have performed consumer surveys that signal people do want to travel this summer.

• A recent survey from TripIt by Concur reports that 73% of Americans say they will fly somewhere in June.
• CarTrawler.com's recent survey found that 51% of Americans expect to do more domestic travel in 2022.
• In a March 2022 American Express survey of regular travelers, 6 out of every 10 respondents said that they plan to take between 2 and 4 trips this year.

But there are mixed data to support the idea of "revenge travel." Some major companies, like Marriott, saw great results in the first quarter – the global hotel chain's first quarter revenue was up 81% over a year ago. Hilton also reported a dramatic increase in year-over-year revenues from 2021, with the top line up by 96.9 percent, although its revenue per available room as not returned to 2019 levels. Expedia, a travel website, reported a 58 percent increase in bookings from Q1 2021 to Q1 2022.

Yet, there are red flags that could put a damper on the travel boom. Inflation and a spike in fuel prices might have consumers seeking alternative arrangements as everyday costs take a bigger bite out of their wallets. That is supported by numbers from global consultancy firm McKinsey, which has been conducting consumer sentiment surveys throughout the pandemic. In its most recent consumer sentiment survey, McKinsey found that travel spending only saw a modest 3 percent increase year-over-year for the period of February - March 2022 when inflation is taken into account.

While it's not "revenge travel," there is one other sign that travel may be back to say: business travel is bouncing back. According to the U.S. Travel Association, 85 percent of companies have reinstated business travel as of April 2022, up from 65 percent just three months earlier in January.

Preparing for the 2022 bed bug seasonprotocol for bed bugs hotels office

With all of this in mind, pest management providers should prepare for anything to happen as we head into summer. Here are 5 steps that pest management providers can take right now to get ahead of any potential increase in bed bug activity.

1. Develop industry-specific bed bug protocols.

   Bed bug issues can vary wildly from industry segment to industry segment. In residential facilities, an infestation in a single-family home may be handled very differently than that in a multi-family property where residents share walls. A bed bug issue in a hotel may require a more intensive service than a single bed bug spotted in an office property. Having industry-specific service protocols that outline how to perform a proper inspection for that segment, service options, what products and equipment to use, and even recommendations to make can help ensure that bed bug issues are resolved for your customers in an expedient fashion.

   If you need assistance in this area, check out Target Specialty Product's June 2022 webinar, The Best Bed Bug Prevention Practices.

2. Conduct refresher training for your staff.

   If your bed bug calls decreased in 2020 and 2021 or you've had significant staff turnover or change in the last year, now is a good time to review your industry-specific protocols with your staff or offer refresher training to ensure that everyone knows how to deliver service to your customers.

3. Appoint a dedicated bed bug response team.

   One model for bed bug service that can help companies save time and money is to develop a bed bug response team. If your bed bug service volume is significant, this can be one way to save time and money AND ensure that every bed bug service is handled with the appropriate urgency. A response team can be made up of technicians that have advanced knowledge of bed bugs, have the right service vehicles or rigs for conducting service, and can dedicate time and energy to inspection, monitoring, and reporting/data.

4. Do a pre-season check-in with high-value commercial properties.

   For businesses that service commercial properties, doing some pre-season leg work could help you reap the rewards of business as summer moves forward. Review your past bed bug services and identify accounts where you may want to check-in and remind customers that you're there to assist with any potential bed bug issues. Here are a few ideas for ways to reach out.

   • Do you have commercial accounts at high-risk for bed bug activity where you conduct general pest control services but haven't handled bed bug service in the past? Hotels, educational facilities, hospitals, and senior living facilities are all prone to activity. Touch base with your account contacts and remind them that you perform bed bug services, too.
   • Do you have accounts with recurring or frequent bed bug issues? If you answered yes and you're not conducting regular inspections, now may be the time to speak with your client and remind them of the value of a regular inspection process in identifying potential issues before they become big problems.
   • Are there properties where staff turnover has happened or is likely? If so, offer to conduct a bed bug training session for key staff members. This can help the staff alert you to problems and schedule service.
5. Check your equipment and supply inventories now.

   Whether you experienced a drop in bed bug calls in 2020 and 2021 or now, do a pre-season check of your bed bug equipment and product inventories to make sure everything is in good working order and you have what you need to perform service. If you need assistance, your Target Specialty representative would be happy to help.