I guess we had bad luck. We had just discovered bedbugs after 5 months hosting. .it s extremly rare in sweden and normally only coming from tourists. Do you know if there are special countries and place more affected? we are lucky that insurance takes in.charge as it will cost quite much money but a lot of work plus no hostings for severals weeks… do you know what preventive measure can be done after to reduce risk to get it again?
I haven’t a clue but I want to follow this thread – just in case.
1 Like
OMG - I’m so sorry. That really, really sucks. I hear it’s more common in hostels, etc. but I’ve read stories of expensive chain hotels that have also had them so it just seems to be a function of global tourism. Do you rent a room or an entire apt? Some people zip mattresses into protective covers but I have no idea if they work or not.
It s entire app so luckily it s didnt contaminated our place…
do you know which guests brought them in? Usually, the bites are so bad that I would think whoever complained were the ones who brought them with from another hotel. It would usually be guests who are on an extended trip and traveling from another hotel or tourist accommodation. I’m so sorry this happened.
Very hard to know as it can be any of guests lasts months. No one complained before so maybe the 10 days family from netherland. Maybe the workers from bulgaria. Hard to know
My best strategy is to have suitcase stands, so people do not need to put their suitcases on the bed. This is, statistically the most likely way that bedbugs will move from guest to room. Do not put the stands over a rug, but a easy to wash surface like wood or tile. I understand that asking people not to wear their shoes inside can help, but if they are wearing the same socks that they wore in the infected space, that doesn’t really help at all!
I have three of these Luggage Stands which equals my maximum number of guests.
2 Likes
What the protective covers do is keep the bedbugs out of their preferred accommodation. They will still roost in carpets, on the bedframe, etc.
Bedbugs are 500 times more prevalent than they were back when DDT was in use. Anyone who travels risks picking them up.
They are visible to the naked eye, so if necessary you can ask incoming guests to set their luggage in the bathtub (where you can see any escaping) and unpack from there, watching carefully. No one wants to do that, but it is less expensive than treating for them after the fact. To see what they look like, Google images bedbugs.
When traveling yourself, put luggage in bathtub and check the mattress and box spring for bugs and for the red or black smears they leave behind.
1 Like
I’ve only personally encountered 2 people who dealt with bedbugs – my ex was covered with bites after staying in a cheap hotel in Paris and he came back all traumatized and tried to dis-infect all his stuff. I also met 2 girls in Guatemala who had quite a few bites after they stayed in a hostel and they were very nonchalant about it. Perhaps there can be less dramatic bedbug infestations but they seem to reproduce quickly and I can’t imagine any guest getting bedbug bites and not telling their host. So I feel like sylvain’s last guests were probably the ones who brought them in.
This is one of my biggest fears about hosting besides guests setting the apt on fire…
1 Like
Just you know it will cost 4000 dollars plus no renting for maybe one month…
1 Like
Holy sh*! 
1 Like
Are you replacing all the bedroom furniture, couches too? That is amazing – $4000. Makes me want to stop taking any new reservations and just quit while I’m ahead. I had a good run…
That s only the cost to take away them, we will see if we have to throw some furniture too…
My understanding is that the bed and mattress always need to replaced. It can extend to nightstands and anything else in the proximity of the bed and if bugs migrated to couches, then those too… I must say that I completely admire how totally level-headed and straight-forward you are being about this. No drama, no hysterics – you are awesome and I’m going to think of you next time I over-react to something…
The company will bring big tent that are special to put high temperature during two days, normally it s kills all that are inside the tent (reason that it s cost a lot…). We will see when they can come (two three weeks to wait…)
2 Likes
The heat treatment is very effective. Consider your belongings in the heat - candles will melt, candy too. Probably other stuff I can’t think of right off
It’s only furniture as we don’t have our belongings in the guests appartment.
I just bought “#1 RATED ECO PEST Ultrasonic Pest Repellent By INNAV8 2PACK - Best Indoor Plug In Pest Control SOLUTION - Natural Repellent - Mice, Ants, Roaches, Mosquitoes, Bed Bugs [2 Band Technology] Night Light”
Is it efficient?
Why luggage stands are preventing bedbugs to move to floor or other place?
My understanding is that bedbugs like to move from one cozy fabric to another, so having a stand is simply an obstacle. When bags are on a duvet, comforter or quilt [how did that come up again] the bedbugs find the transition to a nicer fabric good. The student area of Boston has a huge bedbug problem, so our local paper runs articles about this sort of thing a lot.
The other advantage of the luggage racks is that the dirty wheels of the case are not resting on your just cleaned fabrics.