- Kyle Chua
Bedbugs: Tech Solutions To Prevent Outbreaks
Updated: Dec 17, 2023
Bedbug panic is sweeping France and South Korea and with the lifting of travel restrictions after the pandemic, no country is safe from an outbreak.
The alarming news has prompted many around the world to start finding ways to prevent their own homes and businesses from being infested, turning to the novel solutions offered by tech startups for answers.
Leading the charge are Valpas and Spotta whose innovations could prove useful in combatting bedbug outbreaks.
Previously, the options for getting rid of bedbugs were limited to fumigation with poisons and raising room temperatures. Valpas, however, brings a smarter alternative, one in which that aims to prevent the bugs from multiplying and becoming a problem.
The startup's innovation comes in the form of smart legs that are retrofitted on hotel beds. When hotel staff install the legs, which are coated with a colour that attracts the bugs, they can use an app to scan each leg’s QR code and track them. Two legs on each bed have traps and IoT sensors, while the other two are dummy legs. When a bedbug climbs up one of the smart legs, it'll be trapped and the sensor alerts hotel staff to take action. The system also provides daily reports and stores all data for effective analysis and reporting.
Valpas says its system is currently in use in more than eight countries across Europe, with over 1,000,000 nights protected in more than 3,000 rooms.
Spotta, meanwhile, is a service that similarly monitors bedbugs before they become a problem and ruin the hotel's reputation. The startup places wireless IoT pods under mattresses of hotel room beds that work 24/7 to detect bedbugs. After a positive detection, the pod notifies hotel staff via email, allowing them to act on the situation quickly. The service reportedly is reportedly 94% effective in detecting bedbugs before hotel guests and staff.
A resurgence of bedbugs, as previously mentioned has gripped South Korea, specifically its capital of Seoul. The country's government has already declared war on the pesky bloodsuckers, setting aside 500 million won for a response effort.
The news of a bedbug resurgence gripping South Korea has prompted many around the world to start finding ways to prevent their own homes and businesses from being infested, turning to the novel solutions offered by tech startups for answers.
The tech startup Valpas, for example, came out with smart legs that are retrofitted on hotel beds, featuring a trap and IoT sensors.
Spotta, meanwhile, is a service that uses IoT pods placed under mattresses to monitor bedbugs 24/7.