Inspectors Find Bed Bugs at Las Vegas Strip Resorts

Jane ShawBy Jane Shaw Senior Editor Updated: 03/04/2024
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Bed Bugs Crawling on Sheets Las Vegas Strip Resorts

It has recently been reported that inspectors have uncovered live bed bugs infesting four prominent Las Vegas Strip casino resorts. The affected casino hotel resorts are Encore, Venetian, Mirage, and Excalibur. Officials said that the bed bug issue was discovered within the past five months.

Documents from the Southern Nevada Health District revealed that on December 5, 2023, a live bed bug was detected in a room at Encore by one of the resort’s bed bug-sniffing canines. The room was promptly taken out of service after a guest lodged a complaint regarding the presence of the bug.

Similar incidents were reported at other resorts, with inspectors finding bed bugs at Venetian in September, and at The Mirage and Excalibur in October. Complaints from guests at these establishments ranged from sightings of the insects to being bitten.

Bed Bugs an Ongoing Issue in Las Vegas Hotels

Officials said that this isn’t an isolated issue that is limited to these resorts. Since 2021, bed bugs have been discovered at eight other Las Vegas hotels, namely Caesars Palace, Circus Circus, MGM Grand, The Palazzo, Park MGM, Planet Hollywood, Sahara, and Tropicana.

While Las Vegas is known for providing unique guest experiences, most visitors don’t expect to be faced with bed bugs. However, there are other states and cities that have far bigger bed bug issues compared to Las Vegas.

In fact, it is reported that Las Vegas didn’t even make it to Orkin’s recent list of the top 50 most infested U.S. cities. Instead, it was cities like Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia that topped the ranking.

A statement from the Nevada Resort Association read:

With approximately 155,000 hotel rooms and 41 million annual visitors, four rooms impacted over a nearly five-month period that generated millions of room nights shows these are extremely rare and isolated occurrences.

The problem with bed bug infestations isn’t limited to the United States. In Europe, there was panic last October when a bed bug was spotted crawling on a passenger’s leg on the London tube. Even high-profile events like Fashion Week have been affected, with A-list celebrities like Paris Hilton and Gigi Hadid reporting sightings of bed bugs at events last March.

Effective Treatment and Warning Signs of Bed Bugs

According to reports, the most effective treatment for bed bugs involves raising the temperature of an infested room to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by spot-heating cracks and crevices where the insects may hide in cooler pockets of air.

There are warning signs guests should be aware of to identify a potential infestation of bed bugs. These include lines of inflamed and itchy spots on exposed areas such as the face, neck, arms, or hands. Other indicators include rusty or reddish stains on mattresses or bed frames as well as small black dots.

Experts on bed bugs advise guests to take precautions such as storing their suitcases in the bathtub upon arrival and conducting spot checks of hotel rooms to reduce the risk of encountering bed bugs during their stay.

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