Bed Bugs: Signs, Causes, and How to Get Rid of Them

How to Spot a Bed Bug Infestation

The most common first sign is unexplained bites, typically appearing in lines or clusters on exposed skin. Bed bug bites are often itchy and can cause red, raised marks, though individual reactions vary significantly. Some people have very little reaction, which means an infestation can develop further before it is noticed.

Beyond bites, there are several things to look for in and around a bed. Small brown or reddish spots on a mattress, sheet, or headboard are often dried blood or bed bug excrement. You may find shed skins, which are translucent and roughly the same shape as the insect itself. Bed bugs themselves are about the size of an apple seed, flat when unfed and more rounded after feeding, and a reddish-brown colour.

Common hiding places include the seams and edges of mattresses, the joints of bed frames, behind headboards, inside bedside furniture, under loose wallpaper near the bed, and in the gaps of skirting boards. In heavier infestations, they spread further through a room.

How Bed Bugs Spread

Bed bugs do not fly or jump. They move by crawling and are transported unknowingly by people and objects. Hotels are a common source, with bugs transferring from room to room via luggage or laundry. Second-hand mattresses, beds, and upholstered furniture are a significant risk. In blocks of flats, bed bugs can move between adjacent properties through wall cavities and under doors.

Once inside a property, they establish close to where people sleep and breed quickly. A female bed bug lays one to five eggs per day. Without treatment, an infestation grows steadily.

Why Bed Bug Infestations Are Difficult to Treat

Bed bugs are resilient. They can survive for months without feeding and are resistant to many over-the-counter insecticides. Their ability to hide in tiny cracks and crevices means that surface treatments often miss significant numbers of bugs and eggs.

DIY treatments with sprays purchased online or from hardware stores rarely resolve an established infestation. They may reduce visible numbers temporarily while leaving eggs and hidden bugs untouched, which allows the population to rebuild.

Professional treatment is necessary for most bed bug infestations, and in many cases more than one treatment is required.

What Professional Bed Bug Treatment Involves

A pest controller will carry out a thorough inspection of the affected room and surrounding areas to establish the extent of the infestation before recommending a treatment approach.

The two main professional treatment methods are insecticide treatment and heat treatment. Insecticide treatment involves applying a residual insecticide to all areas where bed bugs are present or likely to be hiding. This typically requires two or three visits spaced a couple of weeks apart to catch any bugs that hatch from eggs after the first treatment.

Heat treatment involves raising the temperature of the affected space to a level that kills bed bugs and their eggs at all life stages. This can resolve an infestation in a single treatment when carried out correctly, though it requires careful preparation and is generally more expensive than insecticide treatment.

Your pest controller will advise on the most appropriate approach based on the severity of the infestation and the layout of the property.

Preparing for Treatment

Effective bed bug treatment requires preparation from the occupants of the property. Your pest controller will give specific instructions, but typically this includes washing all bedding, clothing, and curtains at high temperature, reducing clutter to allow access, and avoiding moving items between rooms during the treatment period.

Moving infested items to other parts of the property or to a vehicle before treatment can spread the infestation further and complicate the process.