The Fly in the Ointment: All about insects in your ABB space

[Laura2592]

So many hosts have been posting recently about guests complaining that they saw an insect in their ABB space. Some guests have even asked hosts to remove insects from outside! As the purveyor of Firefly Cottage, I am particularly sensitive to this issue, especially during the warm summer months.

How do you prevent complaints about creepy crawlies in your space? 

How do you deal with guests who are insect phobic?

How do you address dings on your "cleanliness" score due to that stray moth or fly that wandered inside?

Is there anything you do in your listing to inform guests about encountering insects or other natural elements?

Do you do anything to remediate insects in your space or on your property?

How has ABB responded if a guest complained of an insect in your space?

I would love to see a discussion of this topic and hear some ideas for helping protect hosts (and guests) from the issues that "bug" them 🐝

[Clara116]

@Laura2592 Great topic, excellent questions and its so over time that people must become aware that we Need many insects/pollinators/creatures to have any kind of balance in the ecosystem in our world.....obviously its way overdo. 

Here's what I have posted in my listing:

IMPORTANT NOTE: Florida is a humid, wet natural environment with lots of nature....many bugs are important to our gardens and ecosystem - we use gentle bug/pest control....but we all do different things to keep praying mantis and other important pollinators in the garden however, rain forces them to seek shelter.
We DO NOT offer refunds for a bug, mosquito, lizard or spider inside. We've not had this occur but just incase. Best advice is keep doors and windows closed, wear long sleeves especially at sunrise and sunset as mosquitoes love to bite at this time.
We have gentle bug spray in the basket in the bathroom and some natural patches for keeping mosquitoes away and patches for itching bites...thanks for understanding and knowing bugs are an important part of growing food and having an ecosystem that works to stay balanced. 

I recently had a biologist stay and before her stay she thanked me for caring about our ecosystem - she HAD read the listing, I was so happy.....and she was a Rock Star guest.

Happy Hosting,

Clara

[Laura2592]

@Clara116 I like that you explicitly state "no refunds for bugs." Have you ever had anyone challenge that?

[Clara116]

@Laura2592 no never had anyone challenge or say anything. 

That's good huh?

[Z-2]

Delete it. Not related to the topic. Sorry.

[Z-2]

remove it, not related to the topic.

[Brian2036]

@Laura2592 @Debra300 @Jennifer2682 

A most welcome guest. I really have to start adding these to my listing.

[Brian2036]

@Laura2592 @Debra300 @Jennifer2682 

I have started adding pictures of local wildlife to our listing photos. Anyone who wants to borrow them is welcome to do so.

My wife is not happy about this because she thinks it will discourage bookings.

 I disagree. I actually hope that it does discourage certain people. If pictures of the rare but possible residents of this area frighten people I don’t want them to come here.

Does anyone agree with Dora?

[Debra300]

@Brian2036,

I can see you wife's POV.  Although you are giving fare notice, there are people like my sister-in-law who cannot bear to even see large spider or any kind of snake on TV.  She would be totally freaked out if she stumbled upon your listing and it had that picture of the spider.

[Brian2036]

@Debra300 

I understand that there are people who have irrational fears of all sorts of things and that my collection of wild animal pictures might discourage them.

From my point of view, however, that’s a GOOD thing. 

A log cabin in the middle of a large forest is no place for the faint of heart and I don’t want to have to deal with any more negative reviews, cancellations, or refund demands from people who have no idea what they may see here.

If a picture of a harmless, beneficial spider frightens off someone who would run screaming at the sight of a real one we both win.

My target market is people who actually want to spend some time in an unspoiled natural environment and would be thrilled to see a bobcat or coyote.

But I really do appreciate your input. Thanks 

😉

[John5097 · Accepted solution]

@Laura2592 

I think the best approach is to seal up the house really well to keep both insects and rodents out. I did this when I renovated my listing. I sealed up every possible way bugs could get in larger than say the head of a pin. 

That's why "new construction" is generally more desirable and expensive.  It just a lot less likely to have all kinds of issues that older houses can have. Although, I've made my old house that had a lot of issues very clean and habitable, and my reviews reflect that. New ductwork, vapor barriers, sealing up to keep out insects and rodents. 

That being said its like Florida here and impossible to keep them from coming in though door. But in general if a listing has insects or rodents they should expect reviews to reflect that. If a host is booked and only want to do cosmetic improvements and still make very good profit on STR they run the risk of less that perfect reviews or being delisted. 

The risk with just poisoning every insect in the yard and around the house is that roaches start to crawl around before they die so guest more likely to see them, and also killing the beneficial insects outside like fireflys.  

[Brian2036]

@John5097 

Good point, and I would if I could but unfortunately real log houses are impossible to seal.

It’s one reason why few people build them these days. They expand and contract measurably over a 24 hour period. Every day. Mine is about 2 inches longer on a hot summer day than it is at 5 degrees below 0* F.

Hard to believe but I actually measured it.

There are better ways to build a house and at this point I wish I had chosen one of them.

[John5097]

@Brian2036 

I didn't realize they expand and contract so much. Maybe still some way of sealing the crawl space? Although I was kind of mentioning that if someone does renovate, to seal up where the pipes come though the walls, etc. 

Growing up we stayed in a log cabin for a week every summer in Mitchel County in NC. Old log cabin. I don't recall any insects or ants but also had to keep things super clean. There was a mouse under my roommates pillow one night that was terrifying. At least it wasn't under mine, but place wasn't infested with them or anything. Its really difficult to seal up a place well enough to keep everything out but it does help a lot. 

If you have to spray insecticide you can use the kind that sterilizes the insects so they don't reproduce. I end up killing about 10 a year and they don't have a chance to reproduce. And when I first moved in to this place it was infested with rats and roaches. The rats were quiet for about 3 weeks then started running across the floor when I was watching TV. Like "here we are!" Sealing up the house got rid of them permanently. Mostly they were getting in where the old duct used to come into the crawlspace so was pretty easy to do. I also built a cabin that was totally mouse proof. 

Sorry this topic was kind of raw to me after stying in my first Airbnb. It wasn't just the ants. It was really the host. Its like she had some kind of disorder and who knows when the bedding was last washed? Sheets were pure course polyester, everything was old and gross. 

So if you have a few ants mention it I suppose, and make up for it with super clean bedding. 

I don't even think about the review ratings or stars. I just want my guest to have a great stay and have very clean quality amenities, even the mattress is very good and not cheap. So many guest have mentioned how bad other mattresses are where they have stayed. 

About once every 2-3 months I do clean up a dead insect. Like I said its like Florida here. 

This was a pic of my first stay at an Airbnb. Couldn't get out of there fast enough. I also stayed at a rental cabin not far from there two summers ago that was a great experience, the bed was fine with clean normal sheets, but not on Airbnb. 





 

[John5097]

This helped a lot. Guest almost never leave the door open anymore. At least the Airbnb I stayed in had screens on the windows. Just leaving windows or doors open here just isn't an option. Next guest would deffinatly complain about all the flying biting insects inside. I hope it helps someone. My experience is that people don't change and don't fix problems. I don't have the best communication skills so just try and provide a great experience for guest. Everyone has a different approach. In the end we its a review based platform based on the guest experience, and 99.99% of guest aren't going to know or care what host post here. 

[Brian2036]

@John5097 

Yes, modern insect control often utilizes small pheromone baits that interfere with the reproductive processes of specific pests. Excellent.

For mosquitoes I have found that a small artificial pond actually helps. Mosquitoes do breed there, but rather than poisoning the water, I let nature take its course and we rarely see an adult mosquito.

 The pond is teeming with tadpoles which gobble the mosquito larva until they become adult tree frogs and move into the surrounding forest to feast on adult insects.

 The pond also attracts bats, dragon flies, swallows, martins, bluebirds and other creatures which feed on flying insects.

For mice and rats the best remedy I know of is a couple of fat cats.

Various wild animals such as foxes, coyotes, snakes and owls also find them tasty.

[John5097]

@Brian2036 That's really cool. I didn't know that about the artificial ponds but it makes perfect sense. I have a bird bath that I need to clean at least once a week. I always suspected that it helped keep down mosquitoes as they would be attracted to lay their eggs there then get washed out by me before they hatch. 

Now that guest are keeping the door closed it takes a lot of stress off me, as before I would go to clean and notice mosquitoes and other flying insects. Recently, three weeks ago, I added some small pieces of foam to the bottom corner of the doors, as there was a small area insects could get in. Sense then I've only seen one dead small roach. So I keep finetuning and dialing it in. I have noticed that ants will go up into the soffits and some calk fixes that. I'm talking thousands in each colony. The sugar ants can get in though weep holes in new sliding glass door, so have used a little bug spray there.

I do notice major improvement sealing up cracks and gaps. Next I need to use a little bondo under one of the doors, and replace bottom weather stripping on another door. I already replaced all the other weather stipping, new doors and windows, etc. 

We have lizards, frogs and even spiders feed on the mosquitoes. I so glad I'm using so little pest control mostly in the crawl space. 

My guest are a positive influence for me also. If one dings me for a mosquito outside, whatever. I can't worry about everything and just do the best I can. 

Anyway, your pond sounds very inspiring! That would be really cool to include a little sign next to it like you see on nature trails, about how the tad polls and frogs and such. Awesome!  

PS.. some dirt showing in the pic, gonna clean that. lol.