Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Found bed bug in air b and b

50 replies

Notesonaconditionalform · 21/06/2023 04:36

be D ups are literally my worst nightmare and I just woke up to one crawling in the pillow in my air b and b...
what do I do?? How do I stop them from following us home?

Found bed bug in air b and b
OP posts:
PencilsInSpace · 21/06/2023 09:27

Notesonaconditionalform · 21/06/2023 09:17

Would it spread them ? Straight in the washing machines on a hit wash from a bin bag?

It could do yes, if one drops off the bin bag and hitches a ride home on someone else's washing, or their shoe or whatever.

Straight in the washing machine on a hot wash from a bin bag is a good plan but it's better to use your own machine. Also have another bag ready to put the empty bin bag in straight away, twist the top and tie it off securely then straight in the outdoor rubbish.

SlipSlidinAway · 21/06/2023 09:28

Have you checked all the mattresses and beds thoroughly to see if there is further evidence? Just in case it is some random bug?

Andywarholswig · 21/06/2023 09:30

GayPareeee · 21/06/2023 09:22

DS bright then home from a school trip. We were advised to leave all belongings outside the house and then bring in a way at a time, wash hot, tumble hot.

Another thing to do for things you can't wash hot is your in black bin bags and leave in direct sunlight as the temperature inside can get hot enough to kill them.

This - we had the misfortune to bring them home from holidays but as none of us reacted to the bites we didn’t know until they were the size of the bug you have seen and it was a major infestation.

You need to boil wash everything, spray your suitcases with pesticide, freeze anything that can’t be boiled and bad up everything up and leavenin black bags to boil in the sun. But most of all pray you don’t miss any of the fuckers as it is a miserable experience having to do all of the above to every single thing you own

Piglet89 · 21/06/2023 09:32

Can you get it to pay a share of the accommo charge?

Notesonaconditionalform · 21/06/2023 09:40

PencilsInSpace · 21/06/2023 09:27

It could do yes, if one drops off the bin bag and hitches a ride home on someone else's washing, or their shoe or whatever.

Straight in the washing machine on a hot wash from a bin bag is a good plan but it's better to use your own machine. Also have another bag ready to put the empty bin bag in straight away, twist the top and tie it off securely then straight in the outdoor rubbish.

If they take the stuff to their house I just know they won't do it properly.
im binning my stuff because I just don't think it's worth the risk but at least in a laundrette can make sure they actually do all their things (I'll do it for them)
My kids are at their house all the time so if they get bed bugs I will end up with them too

OP posts:
SunIsShininInTheSky · 21/06/2023 09:41

Bilboard · 21/06/2023 04:45

That's not a bed bug. That's just a bug that happens to be in your bed. To make you feel better and creepy crawler free, before you get home put all your clothing in a plastic bag and put in washing machine as soon as you get home. Have a long shower.
Don't forget to leave a review;0)

That's deffo a bedbug! I had the misfortune of staying in a few places when I was backpacking in my 20s infested with the things.

Contact the owner of the place immediately and go home if you can, you will be bit to buggery if you stay and risk having your stuff infested, if they haven't already set up camp in your bags.

Once home I suggest you don't bring your bags/cases/anything taken with you into the house immediately when you get back. Unload clothes in the garden, carry in and throw straight in the washer followed by hot dryer. Any soft toys that can't be washed leave in the freezer. Your luggage needs spraying (I think some sort of alcohol kills them) then leave them in the shed/garage for ages. When my friends and I had the misfortune of them I found they had made themselves at home in the zips of my bag, I sprayed with alcohol and left in the sun for about a week (I was in austrailia) I had wheels on my bad so couldn't put it in the dryer (i actually binned that bag when I returned home 6 months later, it was £200 😬 but I was not taking any friends home). My friend's found them in the pages of their book so check/chuck any books. You literally need to blast/spray/burn anything you took with you. Just don't take them into your house whatever you do.

Please inform other people via a review, I'd cancel my trip if the place had bedbugs even if I lost all my money. Hell no.

SunIsShininInTheSky · 21/06/2023 09:43

Don't forget even your shoes, spray them and leave them in the garage a while! Everything has to be done!

Notesonaconditionalform · 21/06/2023 09:47

SunIsShininInTheSky · 21/06/2023 09:43

Don't forget even your shoes, spray them and leave them in the garage a while! Everything has to be done!

Im going to get cheap shoes from primark and wear them home, i do genuinely have really bad OCD I would absolutely not know what to do with myself if any of them followed me home!

OP posts:
SunIsShininInTheSky · 21/06/2023 09:54

Notesonaconditionalform · 21/06/2023 09:47

Im going to get cheap shoes from primark and wear them home, i do genuinely have really bad OCD I would absolutely not know what to do with myself if any of them followed me home!

Rubber flip-flops would be your best bet

PencilsInSpace · 21/06/2023 09:55

Get some cimexa, treat all your beds, get your parents to do the same.

It's impossible to guarantee you won't bring one home and you will send yourself mad trying to cover all eventualities, but this will kill anything within a few days. You can leave the cimexa down indefinitely and it will carry on working.

SlipSlidinAway · 21/06/2023 10:15

Have you checked how bad an infestation it is? If you can show your mum etc evidence of bugs on their mattresses they might be more supportive. Anyone got any bites?

Simplyfedup · 21/06/2023 10:18

For a start let the property owners/managers know immediately.
It would be very unfair to wait and leave a review about this. Bedbugs get into pretty much everywhere that people stay overnight, including the best hotels. A review saying there were bedbugs could ruin a business because people are so ignorant about them.
The owners will probably need to cancel their next booking and arrange for pest control. They will likely be recommended to pay for bed bug traps to be put in, that can be checked by the cleaners, and they can also set up a contract for regular inspection.

Then follow the good advice that you have here and can easily Google.

greenstrawberry · 21/06/2023 10:19

you need to get a steamer (you can buy hand held quite cheaply) and loads of black plastic bags. Put all cases in black clean plastic bags. Wear clean clothes on the way home, not coming into contact with anything in the airbnb on the clothes. When you get home remove the clean clothes and wash, hot wash and tumble dry everything you took. Use a handheld steamer to entirely steam every single surface of your suitcase and belongings (put the suitcase in the bath after removing from its black plastic bag and disposing the bag in the outside trash) and belongings once you get them home.

Notesonaconditionalform · 21/06/2023 12:06

SlipSlidinAway · 21/06/2023 10:15

Have you checked how bad an infestation it is? If you can show your mum etc evidence of bugs on their mattresses they might be more supportive. Anyone got any bites?

I'm too scared to look tbh!
I have bites in lines like the pictures that come up on google on my leg they are saying I'm paranoid and that I don't know is it was a bad bug that bit me...
I am kind of stuck because apparently we all have to just stay there tonight and act as if we didn't see a bed bug or we've "ruined the trip" but this is my idea of actual hell

OP posts:
Anotherparkingthread · 21/06/2023 12:11

Op bin everything. The value of your belongings is not worth the hell you will go through if you bring them home. Strip off when you get back, outside if you can if not take coats etc off outside step inside and strip the minute you are inside the door. Bag all the clothes and throw out the door immediately.
I knew somebody who had bedbugs and got actual ptsd from it. Absolutely not worth the risk of bringing them back just bin it all.

SlipSlidinAway · 21/06/2023 13:03

I think you need to force yourself to look - or get someone else to investigate the mattress. If they can see it's not a random bug surely they must see sense.

No way would I be sleeping with bed bugs!

OneHundredOtters · 21/06/2023 19:24

You can get a service where they come over and heat your suitcase and everything inside it.

Keep it outside in a thick garden rubbish sack until that happens.

Or the hot wash and tumble dry is effective. Freezer for anything you can't wash including bags and papers/books.

I had some suspect bite on a trip last year although never found the bugs. I think it may have been the previous hotel but the bites can take 48hours to come out. I did all this as a precaution and was fine.

And never ever ever put your clothes or suitcase on the bed in a hotel.

BelleMarionette · 21/06/2023 19:30

Lots of advice about clothing, which is correct (blast it with heat in the tumble dryer) but don't forget the cases! They live in the seems. I would personally bin the bags

SlipSlidinAway · 21/06/2023 19:55

I hope you're not having to stay there tonight op.

Notesonaconditionalform · 22/06/2023 08:59

SlipSlidinAway · 21/06/2023 19:55

I hope you're not having to stay there tonight op.

They wouldn't leave and I don't know a way to get back by myself (I don't drive and we are quite far from home) they all acted like I would be the worst most awful person in the world if I left so I ended up guilted into staying- I "slept" sat up in the shower and now I'm on operation Try to convince them to not being bed bugs back home.
they all just collectively blanked me every time I mentioned bed bugs. I thought it was quite cruel actually because they all know that my biggest fear is bed bugs.
I feel like I want to rip my skin off it's grossing me out

OP posts:
SlipSlidinAway · 22/06/2023 09:37

Goodness they're being very cruel op. I still think the best way forward is for you to confront them with further evidence. If you can't bear to look would a family member do it for you?
Have you been in touch with the owner yet?

Notesonaconditionalform · 22/06/2023 09:41

SlipSlidinAway · 22/06/2023 09:37

Goodness they're being very cruel op. I still think the best way forward is for you to confront them with further evidence. If you can't bear to look would a family member do it for you?
Have you been in touch with the owner yet?

I tried to look yesterday I couldn't find any alive bugs but I found what looks like bed bug poo (according to google) and the cast shell things in the mattress of two of the beds
the bug we Finns ran down a hole in the floorboards so I think that's where they are it's an old building lots of gaps

OP posts:
NotEverORNever · 22/06/2023 09:47

Take lots of photos OP, so you can complain.

They are awful but they are not as easy to spread and as difficult to get rid of as people are making out on this thread. If they were every house in the uk would be infested.

I completely understand you freaking out though. I would be too.

greenstrawberry · 22/06/2023 09:51

@NotEverORNever So easily one can crawl into a suitcase though then you're screwed. It's really not worth the risk of getting them so they should be taken very seriously. If you do get them it could cost thousands to sort it out, new bed, bedding, get rid of loads, professional bug person to come over. not to mention the time and trauma!

NotEverORNever · 22/06/2023 13:55

greenstrawberry · 22/06/2023 09:51

@NotEverORNever So easily one can crawl into a suitcase though then you're screwed. It's really not worth the risk of getting them so they should be taken very seriously. If you do get them it could cost thousands to sort it out, new bed, bedding, get rid of loads, professional bug person to come over. not to mention the time and trauma!

I agree that there is a risk but it's not as high as you might think. If they spread as easily as some are suggesting then you would have many more homes being infested in the UK. I would take all,the precautions being suggested by posters if I was the OP but I don't think she need to worry too much.

I used to be an Environmental Health Officer and used to deal with bed bug infestations. I never stopped feeling repulsed by them. I had to pretend to be professional though 😕
Bed bugs are evil little things that can survive for a year without eating and hide in teeny cracks. I saw a really bad infestation of them under a baby's mattress once, it was disgusting.

They didn't have them when I worked but you can get bed bug sniffer dogs.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page