Destin is a popular vacation spot in Florida. Thousands of tourists visit the place during winter to enjoy warm summers while lying down on the beach. Whether it is seniors, kids, youngsters, or couples, Destin has something for everyone in the package. Since it is a tourist destination, finding hotel rooms and rentals is easy. Currently, people are more comfortable with vacation rentals than hotels where millions of people come from different locations.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry in all countries has become stricter. There are safety protocols, quarantine periods, and above all restrictions on the number of guests in a hotel. Even people are reluctant to book rooms in shabby hotels because of the fear that they a compromise on hygiene and sanitation.
However, at times it is difficult to find rooms in your favorite hotel. This is why people prefer affordable vacation homes and condominiums.
Vacation homes give privacy and freedom, unlike hotels where you have to eat, stay and follow the hotel safety guidelines. Some of the hotels prohibit pets, while some don’t have proper facilities for disabled senior citizens like a ramp, wheelchair, etc. However, in a vacation home, you have the freedom to stay the way you want with pets, kids, and senior citizens. Vacation homes have all the necessary furniture, kitchen appliances, and electronic gadgets that a complete family requires during their homely stay.
A vacation home is a second home bought by people for either to stay after retiring, vacation home during trips with families, and some use it for investment purposes. Vacation homes have given a lot of profit to people.
If you’re looking for vacation homes or condos for sale in Destin you can check DestinFlorida.com to know more details. It is a one-stop-shop website that has all details about real estate, things to do in Destin, attractions, events, hotels, nearby restaurants, rentals like golf, boat, cruise, etc. You can always plan out your trip to Destin and make online bookings directly with the owner. The website provides direct contact details to the customers eliminating middlemen from the dealing thereby saving money for both parties.
Since you’ve planned to buy a vacation home and put it on rental, you need to ensure that all things are managed well and hygiene is the main factor. Most owners hand over their vacation homes to brokers who only focus on their commission.
However, the fact is they are least bothered about the home condition. This way the home is completely ignored resulting in wood warps, seepage, bugs infestation, plumbing issues, etc.
The biggest problem that often tourists face after reaching their vacation home is bed bugs. This is something that cannot be spotted instantly. It is only after customers spend a night that they realize about bed bugs infestations. In the end, it leads to disappointed customers and negative reviews about your vacation home on social media. Do I need to tell you how social media marketing can impact your business?
How to Prevent Bed Bugs in your Vacation Rental (Home Owner)
Therefore, you should always follow these simple tips to make sure that your vacation rental doesn’t have bed bugs –
Educate your Housekeeping Staff
- Cleaning personnel should receive regular training on bed bug prevention, and maintaining cleanliness in vacation rentals should be their priority. If you have staff who will be handling your vacation homes, give them a crash course on how to recognize bed bugs.
- Bed bugs, as the name suggests, are mostly found in mattresses and bedding. Invest in mattress protectors for each bed and bedspring and place them tightly because bed bugs can live for up to a year without feeding, so if you open the protectors too frequently, you run the risk of perpetuating the infection.
- It’s always a good idea to change your beds and linens regularly. Depending on the number of guests you have, you may need to do this every few years or annually.
- Once a year, you should have a professional inspect your entire property for bed bugs and other pests that may be lurking about your home.
How to Spot Bed Bugs in your Vacation Rental (Customer)?
- Leave your luggage in the car or at the front entrance of your accommodations, until you’ve investigated the all rooms. If you carry your luggage into the space directly, you run the danger of bed bugs getting into your luggage.
- The bed is the best spot to start looking for bed bugs. Remove all of the bedding from the corners of the mattress to check all of the seams on the bedspring and bedsheets.
- Bed bugs dislike light so they prefer to hide in dark places. Because the bedspring and bed frame provides a lot of shielding from light, you’ll frequently notice signs of bed bug activity there as well.
- Bed bugs will frequently hide under the bed’s panel because there are a lot of little nooks and crevices for bed bugs to hide in and it’s also a safe location that is close to their food supply. Carry it up and it will slide off the frame or wall and then use your torch to shine a light on the bed bugs and make them move.
- If the windows in your vacation rental are close to the bed, make sure to check the drapes and curtain rods as well. Bed bugs can usually be found where the curtain and curtain rod connect.
- Each room contains electrical outlets, allowing easy access to bed bugs from one room to another. When inspecting outlet covers, all you have to do is look around the electrical sockets and covers to find any cracks. (Please do not put anything in the electrical outlet, but inform the staff immediately and request them to change room).
Guests are becoming more and more aware of the importance of monitoring beds and linens for bed bugs at Destin Florida vacation homes and hotels. However, guests should not be the first ones to spot bed bugs, but instead, you and your cleaners will be in charge of this task. Vacation rental owners are always looking for new methods to make the most during the off-season. If your vacation home has vacancies during the off-season, you can use this time to conduct bed bugs inspection and follow pest control management.
