Bed bugs
Bed bugs are small oval shaped insects (3-5mm) in size. They can appear as a reddish brown colour (after feeding) or as semi-translucent when they haven’t fed in a while. Bed bugs are not as their name suggests only located to your bed, they can be found in any crack/crevice around your bed too e.g
- Behind wallpaper
- Gaps in skirting
- Seams of curtains
- Electrical sockets
- Gaps in bedroom furniture
- Under the edge of carpet
Tips for avoiding Bed bugs:
The main culprit is normally when you have been on holiday or someone from your household has been away and brought them into your house. If this is found to be the case then please get in touch with the owner and let them know, it perhaps isn’t the most pleasant conversation to have but bed bugs do not go away by themselves.
If someone in your household is getting bitten and you are unsure if it is bed bugs or not then please leave them in the same bed, if you shift them to another room then there is a decent chance the bed bugs will shift with them and you will have to treat both rooms.
If you have purchased a second hand bed then give it the once over before taking it home. Check the seams around the edge of the mattress by folding them back. If it is an enclosed base then unscrew the bed legs and check the threads, also check underneath the fabric that is stapled underneath the bed. If it has a frame or slat base then unscrew some slats and inspect them, basically if it has a join or a crack take a look inside and make sure there isn’t any unwanted guests!
Treatment:
This will require a chemical and environmental approach. In most cases a mix of liquid and gaseous chemicals will be applied within the room to various surfaces and locations like the ones mentioned above. In addition to the treatment you will need to bag up all bedding/clothes that have been in the general vicinity of the bed in question and get them hot washed.