We’ve discussed the importance of using a bed bug travel spray when staying in a hotel room. If simply getting bitten by bed bugs were the worst that could happen, then it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

Yes, it would be wrong, but it would be a limited problem. The real mess begins when you take the bed bugs home with you. All those nooks and crannies in a suitcase or backpack make it an ideal place for bed bugs to hide, and they’re more than happy to crawl out and make your bed at home in their new living quarters.

But what about Airbnb and bed bugs? While you’ve most certainly heard about the problems of bed bugs in hotels, what about Airbnb? We’ll save you a quick Google search, and you can just click here; yes, it’s a problem. Let’s talk about some of the reasons you’ll want to take an all-natural bed bug travel spray with you when you head to an Airbnb.

Airbnb's Aren’t Really Regulated

Companies like Airbnb are shaking up areas of business that could use a little shaking up. But even as they do so, they introduce new problems while solving others. Large companies like hotels have reputations that they’re worried about, so they will quickly address a bed bug problem. After all, it could become national news and quickly scar their brand.

Airbnb's, on the other hand, are run by a single individual. There’s no oversight on that living space and no maid service trained to look for signs of bed bugs. Sure, the sheets get changed at an Airbnb (you hope), but is the owner checking for bed bug excrement bloodstains and discarded nymph husks?

When you get to an Airbnb, it’s best to get out your bed bug travel spray just as you would at a regular hotel. Using it can prevent you from getting bitten and kill any bed bugs you might otherwise inadvertently take home.

Reviews Get Lost

You might think an Airbnb host would be especially concerned about their space because it’s their only one; if it gets a bad reputation, their location is unusable. Here’s the problem: a single bad review is quickly lost. If an Airbnb has a 5-star rating and the bed bug review takes it down to a 4.9 star, then it’s still a 4.9 star, and people will jump at the opportunity to stay there. Many trust the star rating and don’t read reviews; that bed bug review could be lost quickly.

You might not know about the bed bugs if you missed that review. That’s why it’s always a good idea to pull out the bed bug travel spray at every Airbnb you use.

Looks Have Nothing To Do With It

If your Airbnb turns out to be nicer than you thought, you could think you’re safe from bed bugs. Not true. We’ve often discussed how the most reputable places can be as susceptible to bed bugs as run-down locations. Having bed bugs has nothing to do with a home or hotel being clean or dirty, new or old.

No matter how nice the place is, give it a bed bug check. Look in the seams for the bed bugs themselves. Check for dark spots on the mattress, which could be bed bug excrement. Look for discarded skins of bed bugs. All of this can be made much easier if you use a bed bug detection light set to a frequency that makes bed bugs and their eggs fluoresce. Even if you don’t see any bed bugs, make sure you put some bed bug spray on the perimeter of the mattress. See the pictures below to help you.

Airbnb Owners Might Not Know How To Deal With Them

Before you found our bed bug eradication site and watched our video on how to get rid of bed bugs, you probably didn’t know much about killing bed bugs. Does Raid work? What do bed bug bites look like? Is there a natural, plant-based bed bug spray that works?

Those who run an Airbnb are often just as clueless as you used to be. Many of them will make the most obvious choice, one that’s been drilled into our heads by advertisements for our entire lives: call an exterminator. Unfortunately, as we’ve detailed in previous blogs, exterminators use toxic chemicals to treat bed bugs. These chemicals are often reintroduced to a house multiple times before they see the job as complete. Even then, they might not guarantee their work, especially if they can claim that a subsequent host reinfested Airbnb. On top of that, many chemicals, such as permethrin, no longer work on bed bugs because the bed bugs have built up an immunity to them.

Unless the Airbnb owner happened to find out about our natural, plant-based bed bug-killing spray, they’d likely have called someone in to introduce a harsh chemical that’s not even affecting the bed bugs. You could end up staying between the exterminator’s treatments, meaning the bed bugs are still near full strength.

Don’t Take Bed Bugs Home

Nearly every hotel you’ve ever stayed in has a luggage rack—those folding tables on which you can put your luggage. Airbnb's, on the other hand, often don’t have these. There’s either not enough space in the room to have one, or they simply haven’t provided one. That forces most people to put their luggage on—you guessed it—the bed. And where do bed bugs most often live? Take a look at their name, and you’ll have the answer!

You won’t travel with a luggage rack, but you can travel with luggage covers. As we mentioned before, bed bugs love the seams, creases, and pockets of luggage, and they’re more than happy to hide out there. (Unfortunately, the most common type of bed bug looking for a place to hide is a pregnant bed bug.)

The luggage covers zip around the luggage, making it impossible for bed bugs to get inside. They’re also white, so if a bed bug happens to get up on the luggage, you’ll be able to see it, dispose of it, and tell the Airbnb owner.
  

Should You Avoid Airbnb's?

We’re not telling you to avoid Airbnb's. Using them has many advantages, such as meeting new people, staying in a different part of the city away from the hotel district, and having amenities you might be missing from a regular hotel.

But, as noted above, it’s essential to be as vigilant when staying at an Airbnb as when you’re staying at a hotel...and perhaps more so. Either way, you should take a bottle of Bed Bug Patrol Blasting Travel Spray (in a convenient TSA-approved size) to protect yourself and your luggage. It might even be a good idea to put some bed bug traps at the foot of the bed to lure bed bugs down instead of up. After you’ve protected yourself, enjoy your stay!