Bed bugs hitch lifts in suitcases and second-hand furniture, and they are no sign of a dirty home. Here is what to do in the first few days if you suspect them.
There is a persistent idea that bed bugs mean poor hygiene. They do not. They feed on blood, and they get from place to place on luggage, bags, coats and furniture. A spotless detached house in a leafy road gets them in just the same way as anywhere else, usually after a hotel stay, a flight, or a visit from a relative whose own home has a problem.
Bramcote is mostly inter-war and post-war family housing, so the typical call involves a spare bedroom, a child's bed or a main bedroom after a holiday. Bed bugs are flat, reddish-brown and about the size of an apple pip. They hide in seams, mattress piping, bed frames, headboards and behind loose wallpaper, coming out at night.
Bites alone are not proof, because many other things can cause them. Finding the insects or their marks is what confirms it.
Stay calm and avoid moving things around the house. Shifting furniture, bagging up bedding and sleeping in another room can spread bugs to new places. Wash bedding and clothes on a hot cycle and dry them on a high heat, sealing them in bags afterwards. Vacuum the mattress, bed frame and surrounding floor, then empty the vacuum outside in a sealed bag.
If you share the house with others, tell them early. Bed bugs can move between bedrooms along skirting boards and pipework, and a problem confined to one bed in week one can be in three rooms by week six. Early inspection keeps the job smaller.
Shop-bought sprays kill the bugs they touch, but those hiding inside a bed frame or behind a skirting board often survive and eggs are hard to reach. Repeated spraying can also scatter them. How many visits are needed depends on the size of the infestation and how many rooms are involved, and a professional will explain this after inspecting.
After a trip, it helps to keep suitcases off beds, check mattress seams in hotels and wash everything on return. Those habits cut the chance of bringing them home.
We will inspect the bedroom, confirm what you have and explain the options plainly. Free advice comes with all treatments and we do not charge a call-out. Call 0115 937 5117 to arrange a time that suits you.
No. Bed bugs feed on blood and travel on luggage, clothing and furniture, so they can reach any home, however clean. A tidy house is simply easier to inspect, which can help you find them sooner.
Usually not. Discarding it without sealing it can spread bugs through the house, and a new one will be reinfested if the surrounding area is untreated. Get the room inspected first and decide afterwards.
Tell us what you have seen and where, and we will come back to you. Prices are fixed and there is no call-out charge.
