Hello everyone,
This is a topic I have been thinking and reading about for some months, I would like to give my opinion and knowledge about it:
Rates in Bed-bug eppidemics is going to the clouds, the same with fleas. There was a Spanish newspaper publishing a paper some months ago about how hosting on Airbnb messed a couple life because of bedbug infestation (probably caused by their tons of guests, which was the reasson almost for sure).
Having, like some of us have, up to 20 different people on the room, on the house a Month, makes it really probable and likely that one of them will bring company in their suitcases. Its just pure Statistics. People travel around, go to different places, and then get to your house. A part from having it on your appartment you will also spread it around the world because next guests will get in on his/her suitcase and take it home with him, or to a different Airbnb. Avoid replying that you clean after every check out, because obviously you do, but using the vacum or just cleaning doesn't kill the fleas or bed bugs.
There is a critical need for us a hosts to REGULARLY fumigate, exterminate and desinfect the Airbnb room and colindants. Hotels do it, and there is a reasson why they do it. Even we are not like hotels, in this matter we are exactly the same as hotels.
There is an increase epidemic, in some countries like USA all the East coast is being epidemic of bed bugs.
As a host what we can do:
- Increase the price of our rentals: sorry for the classy topic here, but all the host have experienced how when you increase the price the people coming to your home is most of the time different. They probably won't come from a 10bed/room hostel, they won't be backpacking, etc. etc.. which will make it easier for them not to brign something else than clothes on their bags.
- Clean more: have the place as clean as possible, Put in our budgets the expenses in desinfectant sprys, good cleaning products, etc.. Lets face it, It is expensive to have the house clean, but that is an expense we can't cut on.
As a host what we should do:
- Disinfect regularly. Buy this expensive bottles of disinfectant and spray all around when guests check out. Not talking about the ones, like me, that have carpet, we need to be extra clean and fumigate more regularly.
- Fumigate regularly, doesnt matter if you saw something or not. Hotels fumigate bi-weekly or monthly, there is a reasson for it.
- Take precaucions: as an example I get all my dirty towels and bedsheets on a sealed plasting bag, inside a plastic box. Until I do Laundry. Clean bedsheets I store them on vacuum bag on a different plastic box. Someone will call me paranoid but I have around 12-20 guests a month in around 8-12 reservations and I dont want to get bed bugs on my home.
In my opinion it is as easy as important to do this. It our responsability as a host to take care not only of our place and our home but also in a public health kind of way, try not to invade someone else house with insects and parasites. The fun part is the water, the snacks, the candy, etc. etc... but the cleaning and the health situations should be our priority too.