People often think that you get bed bugs because your sheets are dirty, however this is not the case. Having said that, it is important to wash your bedding regularly on a high heat to help prevent bed bugs.
How do Bed Bugs get into Your Bedding?
It is never easy to tell how bed bugs have made their way into your bedding, however the most common ways they travel are through second hand furniture and through your luggage when you stay in a hotel.
Bed bugs are clever at sneaking into your suitcase and hiding until you return home from your holiday. As they are very small, they are very difficult to spot and within a few days of returning home they will have set-up their nest and begun their search for food.
Buying second hand furniture is commonplace these days and this is causing bed bugs to spread faster than ever before. If a piece of furniture is infested and you bring it into your home, the bed bugs will spread very quickly.
How to Prevent Bed Bugs from Getting into your Luggage
Although it is not possible to guarantee that bed bugs won’t enter your luggage, there are measures you can take to minimise the risk of this happening.
Suitcases should not be stored under the bed or on the floor. Always use the luggage rack if there is one or find a high place to put the suitcase such as on top of the wardrobe.
Do not leave clothing on the furniture or the floor.
Upon arrival, always check the bed for signs of bed bugs and continue to check daily. If you see any signs of bed bugs, insist on a new room.
When you return home, wash your clothes at high temperature (even if they are unworn).
Use a luggage treatment service where your luggage is collected and treated for bed bugs using heat treatment.
How to Prevent Bed Bugs from Transferring in Second Hand Furniture
Although bed bugs can be very difficult to spot, you should always thoroughly check second hand furniture before taking it into your home.
You can inspect furniture using a torch while looking for small brown or red spots. These could be eggs or spots of blood from where the bed bug has fed. Remove cushions where possible and turn it upside down to inspect all areas thoroughly.
You could also contact your local pest controller and arrange for the furniture to be heat treated or sprayed with chemicals before taking it into your home.
What to do If You Find Bed Bugs in Your Bed
If you have been unfortunate enough to have brought bed bugs into your home and you have seen them or experienced their bites, you should immediately contact your local pet controller.
Early treatment for bed bugs is the most successful treatment.
How are Bed Bugs Treated?
We treat bed bugs using heat treatment. This is by far the most successful way of removing a bed bug infestation. Unfortunately, the treatment can be intrusive, but it needs to be to ensure success. Heat treatment works by dehydrating the bed bugs, their eggs and nymphs causing them to dry out and die.
Alternative treatments such as chemical sprays are available, but these tend to be much less successful than heat treatment.
Please contact us if you think you require treatment for bed bugs. We have over 10 years of pest control experience and cover all areas of London, Hertfordshire, Essex, and Kent.
We are 5 star reviewed on Google reviews and offer a six month guarantee on all of our heat treatments.
Watch our videos on heat treatments for bed bugs here.
