Nearly half of Northern Kentucky hotels have had at least one complaint of bed bugs since May 2010. In the region, 34 of 64 hotels have had an issue. The soon-to-be-sold Drawbridge Inn in Fort Mitchell has had the most complaints, with 12 findings of bed bugs from 20 complaints. The Super 8 Motel, also in Fort Mitchell, had 12 findings and 17 complaints since May 2010."It's not just the mom and pop hotels on the side of the road," said Steve Divine, of the Northern Kentucky Health Department. "It's those all the way up to expensive hotels with big operations that can have the issue. It can happen to any hotel or facility, but it's how they handle it that seems to make the difference."
In one circumstance, hotel officials had the room in question "inspected by a pest control company and was scheduled to be shut down for a month," reports Mark Hansel for The Kentucky Enquirer. "For the most part, they don't want to have them either because it's bad for business," Divine said. "They usually have been very receptive of what we are requiring them to do. They know that's just part of doing business, unfortunately, at this point."
The problem is not entirely a surprise. Orkin Pest Control ranked Cincinnati, just across the Ohio River, as the worst bed bug city in the United States. Bed bugs feed on human blood and can cause skin rashes and allergic symptoms. They are notoriously difficult to exterminate, in part because they can live for very long periods without eating and are adept at squeezing themselves into very small spaces. (Read more)
Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati Worst Area for Bed Bugs
