Have you found bed bug bites on you or your family? Or seen signs that you think might be bed bugs? Contact our expert team to discuss how we can help.

Bed bugs are a small biting insect that has been a parasite to humans for thousands of years. With the increase in international travel and sale of second-hand furniture, they have spread globally into our homes and hotels.

Identifying and treating an infestation early is vital, to prevent their spread to other rooms and properties. DIY bed bug treatments are rarely effective and can often delay their eradication, allowing them to spread. If you think you have a bed bug issue, contact us today.

Bed Bug Behaviour and Biology

Bed bugs are a small, flat, oval shaped insect with a reddish brown coloration. They are approximately 4 – 6mm long, although they can vary in size and colour at different stages in their life cycle.

They require regular blood meals as they grow, but can remain inactive for many months between meals. A female bed beg can lay hundreds of eggs at any one time, typically between the cracks and crevices of beds, chairs, nightstands and other furniture that we regularly occupy.

Bed bugs are nocturnal, choosing to come out when we are asleep and less likely to notice them. Triggered by the warmth of our bodies and CO2 in our breath, they can quickly locate a host to feed nearby. 

Where do bed bugs come from?

Getting bed bugs is not down to poor hygiene, just bad luck! Bed bugs can easily be carried in from an outside source.  

Bed bugs can come in on clothing, luggage, second hand furniture or carpets. You may pick them up from a hotel stay or staying at a friend’s and family. 

If you have been on recent holidays, or brought some new items into the home, these are likely sources of a new infestation.

Bed bugs can migrate from one room to another, and also into adjoining accommodation. 

How to get rid of bed bugs

Fully removing bed bugs well very often require the help of a professional pest controller. Don’t delay in contacting us, the longer a bed bug colony exists the more difficult it can be to fully eradicate. 

The first step is to arrange a survey to confirm the presence of bed bugs. With bed bugs causing so much anxiety, its not uncommon for other insects to be misidentified. Be vary of any pest control firm offering a treatment without an initial survey.

If live insects are found at the time of the survey, a treatment plan can be proposed. This often involves the repeated use of insecticides and heat to kill bug bugs at all stages of their life cycle.

Where no bed bugs are found, monitoring traps can be placed to check for any ongoing activity. We can also perform swabs tests to identify trace elements of bed bug activity, allowing even small infestations to be detected.

How to prevent bed bugs

Bed bugs “piggyback” on your clothes belongings, so they can easily be move between properties without anyone noticing. When staying over in accommodation away from home, you can check around the headboard and mattress for signs of bed bugs. Keeping your clothes and luggage off the bed is also good practice.

Second hand furniture can sometimes carry bed bugs between premises, and so checking all sides fully for crawling insects can help avoid bringing in unwanted guests.

In hotels, holiday lets and bed + breakfast, a proactive monitoring scheme can help identify problems early. This can reduce the risk of reputational damage from a customer finding bed bugs during their stay.

DIY Bed Bug Control

Some pests people can successfully battle themselves without the need for a pest control company. Bed bugs are not one of them. We would strongly advise you contact a professional pest control company immediately if you suspect you have a bed bug problem. 

The effective treatment of bed bugs can require a high level of knowledge and access to professional insecticides and equipment. In our experience when people have tried DIY products and home remedies, this only delays an effective treatment and allows time for the problem to get larger and spread to more areas.

Bed bugs in many areas have developed resistance to many over the counter insecticides. Amateur use products of often not strong enough to fully clear a bed bug infestation.