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My Guest Brought Bed Bugs
In the Era of Side Hustles and On-The-Go Guest, Don’t Get Hustled by Bed Bugs
“Side hustles” have become more common in our day-to-day lives, as some of us have made additional income from them. Some of the common side hustle platforms are Uber, Lyft, Fivver, Etsy, and Airbnb.
Though these are great sources of income, Airbnbs (and similar service platforms, including traditional hotels, motels and inns) require more maintenance, time, and financial care to provide your guest with a welcoming experience at your home. Unbeknownst to your guest, a parasitic bed bug may have hitched along for the ride.
What Should I Do to Prevent Bed Bugs From Arriving in My Home?
Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed. They can live for 6-12 months and can survive for long periods of time without feeding, and they mostly feed and appear at night. This makes the bed bug hard to find and spot in the first place. It doesn’t help that once they settle in a new environment, they can hide in furniture, outlet covers, and drywall openings.
Once you spot them, finding out where they came from can be challenging as bed bugs hitchhike on travelers by clinging to luggage, purses, briefcases, backpacks, pillows and shoes. They then travel anywhere from hotel bedrooms, public and private transportation seating, luggage storing compartments in airports, and other places where textiles in transportation interact.
Because of this, there is little you can do to prevent bed bugs from thriving, but you may be able to prevent them from spreading in your home or hotel. Guests naturally don’t want to sleep in a bed that has bed bugs, though they may have unknowingly brought them. The following may help in the prevention of an infestation:
- Using metal luggage racks for luggage storage (bed bugs have a hard time climbing on smooth metal objects)
- If you are providing a washer and dryer, consider providing a closed hamper with a lid to contain any clothes that may be contaminated
- Protect your mattress and box spring with a bite-proof, zippered, polyurethane-lined cover
- Do a light dusting with Diatomaceous Earth in crevices, hard-to-reach spots, and areas in near contact with the bed or luggage/clothes areas. This desiccant powder penetrates their bodies and dries them out
What Should I Do if I Find Bed Bugs?
The guidelines that AirBnB, hotels, and similar services have for both guests and hosts may differ on who is liable for any bed bug claims. Regardless of how they arrived there, it is absolutely important to quickly eradicate them before they infest and spread to other parts of your home or other units in your hotel.
Home remedies and over-the-counter products may be financially more appealing, but may not be as effective. This gives bedbugs more time to reproduce and spread throughout your home. Luckily, the Wisconsin area bed bug control experts at Ehlers Pest Management have extensive experience eliminating severe infestations in both single-family homes and multi-unit residential housing structures. Most often, elimination is achievable through a combination of methods including manual removal, heat, and pesticide product applications.
Affordable Bed Bug Exterminators in Milwaukee WI
Don’t take our word for it, other businesses and neighbors in Milwaukee, Glendale, Franklin, and other surrounding counties have relied on our expertise to have a healthier, cleaner, and safer home or business. Find out what they have to say.
