Bed Bug Epidemic in Las Vegas Reports
Matt Unrein • November 15, 2024
Investigators Find Bed Bugs in Multiple Las Vegas Reports
Krystal Nailer, a Mississippi resident, claims that she was attacked by bed bugs while staying at the STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower in Las Vegas, NV. According to official documents from October 2022, there were “painful welts on her left leg and buttocks,” the document said. Nailer immediately reported the bed bugs to the front desk. According to the document, “the employee took an incident report and provided [her] with hydrocortisone cream for her injuries.”
The lawsuit notes state that at no time before October 2022 did Nailer suffer from bed bug bites or see any in her home. However local news station, 8 News Now reported earlier this year that inspectors with the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) found bed bugs at four Strip properties between late 2023 and early 2024. The discoveries were made across all hotel classes.
According to the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD), guests discovered bed bugs in the six months from February to August at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Resorts World Las Vegas, Bellagio Hotel and Casino, and Hilton Grand Vacation Club.
This report by the SNHD highlights that guests complained about bed bugs at the Resorts World from Feb. 4 to Feb. 8.
At the Bellagio Hotel, the investigation found bed bugs after a person stayed at the property during the Christmas holiday, two months before the other reports were made.
At the Cosmopolitan, inspectors found bed begs located inside the headboard of the hotel room and there were guests inside that room from May 14 to May 18.
Investigators also discovered bed bugs at the Hilton Grand Vacations during August.
The Nevada Resort Association, released the following statement to the press.
“Unfortunately, these pests can be transported anywhere unwittingly in luggage and clothing,” the statement said in part. “While incredibly rare, when reported, our members take swift action in accordance with health and safety requirements.”
Bed bugs are hitchhikers that will find a place to hide in your stuff and follow you home. If you stayed in Las Vegas from February to August then you might be at risk of bedbugs following you home. Bed bugs are insects that feed on your blood during the night and hide during the day. They have been known to attach to people's clothes in hotel rooms and hitchhiking their way into people's homes.
If you think that you have found bed bugs in your hotel/motel room or your home please give us a call and we will provide you with a free inspection. If you are unsure about the signs of bed bugs, please visit our FAQ page.
Original articles can be found here:
Though their name is misleading, bed bugs don’t just stick to bedding. Dark corners, warm fabrics, and just about any human or animal-occupied space can be a bed bug paradise. Furthermore, in a recent article from CBS News, we learn that these resilient pests don’t even stick to the ground—they were found boarded business class on a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight, purchased through Delta Airlines SkyMiles program. Having feelings of “bugs crawling on her and that she was being bitten”, Virginian Lisandra Garcia alerted a flight attendant, in fear that her family of four was being feasted upon. They were travelling from Atlanta to Amsterdam and were only met with demands to “keep their voices down” and to “not tell anyone about the infestation,” or else they would miss their connecting flight to Serbia. But after they found bugs on their clothing and even bugs on an airline napkin—on top of being threatened—a $200,000 lawsuit was filed against Delta and KLM. The flight attendants allegedly gave the family plastic bags to carry their personal belongings. “Afterwards, the family claims they learned that the flight attendants had filed a grievance with KLM because of the infestation.” The ignorance of the issue at such a professional level shows just how invasive and detrimental a bed bug infestation can be. After landing the next day, the lawsuit claims that the four were left with harsh welts, lesions, and rashes, which are shown in these supporting photos from the article. "To this day, Mrs. Garcia has scars on her lower back where she was bitten." In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson from Delta stated that the allegations relate to flights not operated by Delta Air Lines. KLM has been contacted but has not yet made a statement. Had the airline acted appropriately and taken the necessary precautions of treating the plane for pests, a lawsuit would have been avoided, a family would have flown injury and turmoil-free, and the company name would have skipped the harsh tainting. After travelling, it is always smart to inspect your body, luggage, car, and pets for signs of bed bugs, and when you find something unwanted, call the pest control pros at SOS. They specialize in safe, non-toxic, and effective thermal heat treatment, able to treat your entire house—including inside your walls—in a matter of a few hours. With a 90-day pest-free guarantee, SOS Pest Control is your saving grace when bed bugs choose you for their in-flight snack. If you are a commercial business owner, SOS has also treated and defended countless businesses from the same fate as Delta and KLM. Bed bugs can and will invade your commercial space, whether it be a warehouse, a storage unit, a doctor’s office, or a hair salon. But SOS arrives promptly and discreetly in unmarked vehicles so you can save your company’s name. Serving any area within an hour of their headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, call SOS Pest Control at 816-237-5342 for a free inspection and peace of mind. Don’t let pests invade your space and tank your business!
Humans have fought— and lost—many battles against pesky insects and rodents throughout history. From plague-ridden rats in 14th-century Europe to the modern comorbid mosquito, millions of people have fallen to opponents a fraction of their size. But the earliest war has lasted over 245,000 years and is still fought today: Humans versus bed bugs. A team of researchers at Virginia Tech studied the lineage of bed bugs and found that patterns in their activity coincided with the rise and fall of the human population over time. Though these findings admit the defeat of bed bug reign by humans, they can be used to predict future invasions as urban living develops, and to investigate the phenomenon of insecticide resistance in the determined bed bug species. Though bed bugs first preferred cave-dwelling bat blood, a group of them jumped over to the Neanderthals in those same caves, and their palates have remained un-cleansed ever since. In fact, humans became the bed bug’s exclusive source of sustenance, a preference shared by only one other insect species—head lice. Just like you won’t find a family of lice at the local park, you won’t find bed bugs in your garden—only in your bed and other suitable dark spots in your home. Bed bugs have hitchhiked and set up camp amongst humans for centuries, just waiting for the perfect time to indulge in their human midnight snacks. But there is good news. Bed bugs will not be the cause of any new plagues, as they cannot make humans sick. Though their bites, as well as their resilience, can be irritating, their harm is liminal, and there are easy methods for getting those lazy bones (or exoskeletons?) out of your bed. However, bed bugs are resistant to many residential chemicals, and consulting professionals is your best bet. First, call SOS Pest Control for a FREE inspection. If they do bombard on a bed bug sleepover, their safe and effective heat treatment heats your home’s walls to rid of bed bugs from the inside out. This safe, effective, and damage-free process takes little time, and SOS’ unmarked vehicles ensure your neighborhood won’t be all up in your business (as for businesses, we will make sure the neighborhood is back up in you soon). Call (816) 471-5733 today or visit online at soskc.com Original article: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2025/05/bed-bug-whole-genome-human-lineage-warren-bo
