New host concern-bed bugs

[Tess360]

Good morning from Delaware! We are in the process of coverting the 2nd floor of our home to an AirBnB. In discussing potential challenges with my husband, he brought up bed-bugs. I've tried to search this topic and only 1 person wrote about it saying it was "inevitable". I would like to know other's thoughts on this and if you have any preventative measures to prevent an infestation. I requested to join a local host group through Facebook, but have not been approved yet to join. Any insights will be greatly appreciated!!

Tess

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Tess360 it is certainly not inevitable. However you can get bed bug proof covers for the mattress. which reduces the damage if the little buggers to turn up.

[Sudsrung0]

@Tess360 

Hi, I suggest you go to Google there is a load of info there, 

[Helen744]

Tess. Bed bugs are not inevitable in properly cleaned homes ,they can be a hazard ,worse in some areas I believe but what is inevitable is routine paid for 'pest inspections ,once or twice a year or if a guest indicates a problem. Probably a good idea to have one before you start and to discuss your fears with an expert   .... H

[Gillian166]

@Helen744  bed bugs don't care about cleanliness, and they don't choose where they go, they just hitch a ride on shoes, luggage and clothes. (like head lice, they don't discriminate)

we got bed bugs in our personal home once, hubby brought them home from a cool Melbourne pub/hotel. 

[Helen744]

Hi Gillian166 I guess I mean the constant turnover involved in most Airbnb gives a pretty good chance of keeping on top of any pests ,human or otherwise and a pest report ,whenever necessary does not leave the downtime pests need for making a permanent home . So they could be a concern but easily removed. I do not think we have such an issue in Australia as some other countries. I dont even think I would recognise one or his/her friends, but I assume they cannot breed if there is only one ? yikes  H

[Gillian166]

@Tess360  hi and welcome to the CC 👋🏼

also would agree they are not inevitable. and something that needs to be widely shared: it's guests who bring them in, not us. 

All you can do is be prepared to act as quickly as possible. in the USA the pest companies have done a number and told you to heat treat the entire residence, charging up to $3k for that, but in reality they are not hanging out in the bathroom or kitchen. We had b/bugs once (hubby brought them home from an interstate stay), took us a week to work out what it was, then we took the mattress and bed outside and pest bombed the room (this apparently doesn't work but did make us feel better 🤣 ) and we slept in our guest room for a week. I ordered a bed bug mattress protector and possibly sealed the little blighters in, we ordered a new bed frame as well and put our fabric bed in storage (for 3 years! using it again now and it's fine), and I got diatomaceous earth (google it, worth having some on hand as it's not expensive) and puffed it around the room for a month.   Whatever happens, you need to act fast to clear out the room and secure it.  IF it happens, not WHEN. And if you are already researching and being prepared, that's a good thing. Timber/metal beds are better than fabric, but they can live in crevices in timber slats if needed although easier to steam them out than dealing with a tufted fabric bed. hardwood floors with rugs are better too, cos you can take the rugs outside (or burn them, lol) and you can get a bed bug mattress protector before you start. 

Also, any guest who accuses you of bed beds should also be terrified they've taken them home, but you rarely hear them express that concern.... 🤔  

[Debra300]

@Tess360,

Bed bugs are not inevitable, and are preventable.  These are the steps that we've taken to protect the mattress and pillow against vermin and stains:

1. The zippered encasements on the mattresses and pillows:   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JIV5YFC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2. Put a waterproof mattress pad on top of the encased mattress:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V84N7NX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
3. Place another encasement with an elastic band over the mattress pad:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Z06EFUA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 
4. Cover the pillows in zippered encasements:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088WY8ZBT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We launder the top mattress encasement and pillow encasements with the bed linen between each guest stay, and the mattress pad and zippered encasement on regular intervals depending on the frequency of turnover and length of stay.