How many of you regularly FUMGIATE, EXTERMINATE and DISINFECT??

[Víctor9]

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.

[Victoria567]

Hi@Victor

Integrated pest management is the way forward according to the New York City advice sites on this topic.

Including as you say, taking extra precautions generally including

good house keeping

steam cleaning

bed bug prevention zippered mattress covers

hoovering daily of mattress and upholstery 

etc etc etc....

[Sarah977]

@Víctor9  Actually THOROUGH vacuuming, as in every nook and cranny, does get rid of critters. I realize that New York and many other places have severe bedbug problems, but to insist that every host needs to spray toxic chemicals in their homes on a regular basis is not something I agree with. 

[Claudiu-Nicolae0]

@Víctor9

I do not consider your measures to be effective. 1) The best and the main option is to buy anti-bedbug protectors for mattresses and pillows. 2) To get rid of all possible holes and cracks in walls, floors, furniture, etc. 3) To get rid of all wooden furniture and wooden things in the room. 4) Get rid of all textile furniture (non-leather sofas, armchairs) and textile decorations (carpets, decorative pillows, plaids). 5) Wash linen, duvets etc. at high temperatures. 6) You can freeze the room, if you have strong air-conditioning, bed bugs are not cold resistant. I.e. you need to create the anti-bedbug environment. You also should monitor your guests, if you see any suspicious bites on their skin, offer them free laundry and suitcase/bag cleaning.

The price almost does not matter, some guests can spend sleep tonight in a luxury apartment, and tomorrow in a hostel. Nowadays many guests are very open-minded and like to try different things and experience.

Regular cleaning products don't help against bedbugs. And to use anti-bedbug products is not a great help, only exterminators can guarantee an effective disinfection. Also using these chemical products after each guest (or frequently) is a great risk for the health of the guests. You need to be totally sure, that there is no traces of these products left before your next guest check-in.

[Cynthia282]

Here’s what else I learned. No reputable pest control company will guarantee that you are 100% devoid of bed bugs.  They are so good at hiding in every nook and cranny - and laying eggs at an astounding rate, that there is always the possibility of a bug or egg being somewhere...  The only 100% guarantee is super-heating your entire home which costs $1000’s of dollars.  Here is what I have been doing a long time:  I check regularly in between the mattress and box springs.  I no longer use bed skirts.  I meticulously clean, vacuum, and use diaphanous earth which is completely non-toxic and natural but will kill all crawling insects including mites, bed bugs, spiders, roaches.   I have replaced the wooden headboard with a platform metal bed, and do all I can at my end.  That is still no guarantee - not ever that the next guest will bring in bed bugs again.  So at some point, we have to decide what the worth of being a host is to us financially, verses not.