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BBs & Travel: An Ethics Question
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caligirl is freakin
newbite
Joined: Jun '10
Posts: 22offline
Posted 1 year ago
Tue May 1 2012 17:44:30
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Hello,
My parents recently discovered that they have bedbugs both in their apartment in a retirement village and at large in the buildings there (multiple findings in the apartments and in public spaces.) They are receiving chemical treatment and follow up, although there has been no emphasis on prevention of spreading (no bagging of clothing, etc.) and it seems too passive an approach from what I’ve read here.
That is an issue unto itself, but I’m writing here to ask about an ethical bind. My siblings and I had planned to treat my parents this summer to a nice vacation with all of us in a luxury rental house, for which I’ve already put down a deposit.
My ethical instinct is to cancel. I don’t feel I can reduce the risk of them bringing bedbugs into this house to zero, especially given their age, lack of belief in the need to prevent spreading and the uncertain nature of how widespread their exposure is at the retirement village. If it were MY house being rented, I would not want someone who might have some risk of spreading bedbugs to come in – and I also don’t think it’s right to expose other renters who arrive after us to that risk. I myself often stay in rental houses rather than hotels and I like to think that other people would not rent a house while undergoing bedbug treatment (although I still take precautions, of course.)
However, my siblings are reluctant to cancel and fear I am jumping the gun. They are hoping that within a few weeks, the problem will be cleared up and behind us. I am skeptical given all that I have read about the nature of the beast – and in particular the challenges of multi-unit dwellings, especially with the added challenge of senior residents.
I’d love to hear any opinions. I do realize there are ways to lower the risk of traveling, but is merely lowering the risk enough when you are staying in someone’s vacation home?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
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oldtimer
Joined: Mar '08
Posts: 2,540offline
Posted 1 year ago
Tue May 1 2012 18:43:50
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It sounds like there is enough time win the war against the bug. I think you could setup some passive monitors as well as active monitors at their place a few weeks before they leave and check in on them. Also, a Packtite is your best defense for traval. Make the investment and setup the packtite in the house after you inspect the house itself. Run everyone's belongings through the packtite before you bring everything into the house. That way you don't single anyone person out and everyone is protected.
Getting the packtite to the location should be the only challenge if you're not driving. But I'm sure you could ship it to a shipping location in the area.
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your host
Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 13,693offline
Posted 1 year ago
Tue May 1 2012 21:23:06
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I think you're right to be concerned, but there are workarounds that can save the fun.
A Packtite as KQ mentioned is a good idea.
KQ is right that the building may pull themselves together. If the problem was recently discovered it may be too soon to assume they won't deal with it correctly.
Your parents may not get it now but the experience of their home being treated may still be quite stressful, so you will probably all enjoy the break if you can learn how to manage the risk.
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caligirl is freakin
newbite
Joined: Jun '10
Posts: 22offline
Posted 1 year ago
Wed May 2 2012 19:01:22
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Thanks to both KillerQueen and Nobugs for the level-headed replies. It's greatly appreciated.
I do hope the retirement village will be able to battle smartly and well, because it is quite sad to me that people who are trying to enjoy the latter part of their lives are subjected to the stress of these creatures and treatment. I'm noticing that this seems to be a pretty big problem now in senior residences across the country.
The Packtite definitely seems like a good idea. Although I don't live in the same city they do, I was already planning to buy one for peace of mind when I visit. But I still have to get comfortable with the idea of "managing risk" rather than eliminating it. I can do that with my own place, but it's hard for me to take even a small risk when it comes to someone else's! But, I also don't want the bb's to take away a vacation everyone is excited about. Hard choices . . .
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oldtimer
Joined: Mar '08
Posts: 2,540offline
Posted 1 year ago
Wed May 2 2012 19:15:56
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I had them with me in Disney ... it was fun for a few days =)
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your host
Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 13,693offline
Posted 1 year ago
Wed May 2 2012 19:48:43
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caligirl is freakin - 38 minutes ago »
Thanks to both KillerQueen and Nobugs for the level-headed replies. It's greatly appreciated.
I do hope the retirement village will be able to battle smartly and well, because it is quite sad to me that people who are trying to enjoy the latter part of their lives are subjected to the stress of these creatures and treatment. I'm noticing that this seems to be a pretty big problem now in senior residences across the country.Yes it is.
As news spreads, resources are being provided for people who manage these complexes, and this should help a lot.
If you feel like you can refer the management to some good resources, try these:
The comprehensive guides in our Resources page (especially if there's a local resource)
NYC's Information for Landlords and Building Managers (while directed at NYC landlords, gives some good information on getting a building bed bug free)
NYSIPM Guidelines for Prevention and Management of Bed Bugs in Shelters and Group Living Facilities (these may not be directly applicable to an elderly apartments complex, but there may be some relevance since these complexes may differ from regular apartment buildings in some key ways)
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