Bed bugs can infest even the cleanest of homes and an infestation does not indicate a dirty home.
They can only be picked up or introduced and, while they feed on many warm-blooded animals, their preferred hosts are humans.
Bed bugs feed at night and can leave itchy bite marks on their hosts, which can result in small specs of blood on sheets and pillows.
The most common ways of picking them up are:
- Buying and bringing into your home second-hand furniture, beds, units, sofas, suitcases or bags.
- They can also be picked up in hotels, on public transport, or places where you are sitting down for periods of time.
- From people who visit your home, people who stay at your home, or when you are travelling.
Bed bugs are not known to carry or spread disease. However, if a bed bug bite makes you scratch the affected area and the bite marks become infected, then this could lead to a skin infection.
Further information:
- Check if it's a bed bug and how to treat bites (NHS)
- Pest advice for controlling bed bugs (British Pest Control Association)
What to do if you think you have bed bugs
Do not panic. Do not sleep in other bedrooms or your sitting room as this could result in other rooms being infected.
If you see an insect or bug that you are unsure of, try not to squash it. Put it on sticky tape or in an airtight jar or container so it can be identified. Contact a pest control company or the council pest control service to request a bed bug survey.
Our pest control team can treat bed bugs, but it can be a lengthy process and therefore we make the following charges.
Charges
- £46 inspection fee. This fee will be deducted from the treatment price (if bed bugs are identified and a treatment is booked). If bed bugs are not identified this fee is non-refundable.
- £226 (in total, includes £46 inspection fee) for one treatment and monitoring visits for a three bedroom property.
- £113 (in total, includes £46 inspection fee) for residents receiving benefits, one treatment and monitoring visits for a three bedroom property.
- £44 for each additional room.
Charges are non-refundable.
