It is difficult to be sure that it is about bedbugs just by looking at the bites.
Take a closer look at the following:
- Dark / black spots on the mattress seams, slots in the bed frame.
- Sweet smell - a distinct, sweet and strange smell.
- Small dark spots - small dark blood stains on linens called "fecal spotting".
- Live insects - although small (adult bedbugs are only 4-5mm long), it is possible to detect live bedbugs and their skins.
Bedbugs can be difficult and costly to fight. It is important to act as soon as you suspect signs of bedbugs.
Locate bedbugs
Although bedbugs will be found mainly in your bed, it is also important to take a closer look at the following places:
- bed frames and cracks in the headboard
- the seams of the mattress
- carpets and substrates
- baseboards
- between the timber floorboards
- in cracked or broken plaster, behind the wallpaper
- the inside of electrical outlets and fittings
- drawers and cabinets
- wardrobes
- bedside table
Bedbugs are usually where they can easily get food - our blood while we sleep at night. They are also attracted by our body heat and carbon dioxide in our exhaled air.
How do bedbugs spread?
They are usually transported into the home or business via clothing, luggage or furniture. Given their size, bedbugs are well adapted to travel.Second hand / vintage furniture
Used furniture can also house bedbugs. Look carefully for signs of infestation before you bring these furniture home; look especially at the cracks and crevices. Rentokil can treat items before you bring them home.
Overnight at hotel
Spending a night in a hotel with bedbugs is the most common way for them to spread out.
- Check if you see small dark stains on the bedding and other common signs when you arrive at your hotel room
- Inform the hotel staff of your suspicions.
- You may need to process your belongings before returning home.
Visiting friends and neighbors
If your home has bedbugs, don't risk spreading them by taking clothes, suitcases or furniture to any hotel or other home.
Established bed bug infestations can migrate to adjacent properties by crawling through wall or voids in the floor. If you live in an apartment or townhouse, inform your neighbors and other tenants so they can take action quickly.