February 25th, 2020 by Chris Chapman

You, or a member of your family, has woken up with some mysterious red marks on their arms or stomach. At first, you may think it is a rash or an allergic reaction. But then you notice some strange marks on your pillowcase, or maybe you spot one while changing your bedding. Bedbugs. What do you do now?

Bedbugs have spread rapidly over the last few decades, and the prospect of an infestation can fill many with dread. The truth of the matter is, that bedbugs can and will settle anywhere, and if it happens to you it’s nothing to be ashamed of. With the right course of practical action, you can remove the pests from your home for good.

Here are our top advice tips for identifying and tackling a bedbug infestation.

1 - Don’t Panic

If you think you have bedbugs don’t make any panicked or rash decisions. Actions like moving furniture out of the room and throwing away mattresses and other belongings can feel like the right course of action in the moment, but can often do more harm than good by spreading the infestation around your house.

The bottom line with bedbugs is while they spread rapidly, bite, soil furniture and carry a certain level of social stigma - they pose no immediate threat to your family's health. Unlike mosquitos or ticks, they don’t transmit disease, so the best thing to do is stay calm, and identify the level of infestation first.

2 - Identify

Bedbugs have many look-alikes, and there is also nothing distinctive about their bite or the traces they leave behind. Before you make any plans to eradicate, take some time to correctly identify your infestation. Bedbugs are more easily identified by their characteristics; they hide during the day and are active from nightfall to a few hours before dawn, they cluster near a food source (i.e. humans) and always leave visible evidence behind.

Grab a torch and check the following places for bugs, eggs and cast skins; cracks, crevices, nail/screw holes, furniture joints, bedding seams, under mattress tags, bed frames, baseboards, and box springs.

When searching, remember that bed bugs are visible with the naked eye from eggs to adults, and they do not fly.

3 - Consult The Experts

While there are many DIY treatments you can and should do to treat an infestation (more on this next), it is always advised that you can an expert in to offer practical help and advice. One of the main reasons as to why bed bugs spread so easily is that many are too embarrassed to talk about the situation or seek outside professional help.

While it may be tempting to hire the first pest control operator who can schedule a treatment, it is worth taking a few days to research and ask questions. Be wary of any one-size-fits-all treatments, and anyone who does not carry out their own inspection for proof and size of any infestation. It is also good to ensure your pest control will provide follow up inspections and treatments. It is usual for an effective treatment plan to include three inspections and subsequent treatments.

During treatment, it is also worth keeping in mind that it is pest controls responsibility to treat your furniture and mattresses, not to tell you to simply throw them away. Replacing them of your own accord is a different matter and is your choice.

4 - Clean and Kill

As you may have to wait for professional treatment, you should always clean infested areas and kill any bugs you find. Every bug you remove is reducing the population, the most effective way to do this is to squish them. If this isn’t for you, however, you can pick up bedbugs with sticky tape, lint rollers, or simply vacuum them up. Make sure you dispose of them in a sealed plastic bag outside once captured, to prevent any from escaping and returning home.

While live bugs are easier to remove, the eggs are much harder to kill. Biopren is a spray that acts as a growth regulator. It stops the bedbugs from maturing and laying more eggs, making an infestation much easier to regulate and remove in the long run.

Other DIY treatments include; heat-treating bedding, clothing and textiles in a dryer, encase mattresses in bedbug-proof covers and encasements, placing bedbug traps at the legs of furniture, moving beds away from walls and not letting bedding fall to the floor.

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5 - Aftercare

Although you may not want to sleep in the same room where you found the bedbugs, sleeping elsewhere (whether in the same house of different) can spread the infestation. It is easier to treat 100 bugs in one room, than 5 spread around a house. You might not get the best nights sleep, but it will be worth it in the long run.

While you may not want to shout it from the rooftops, communicating about bedbugs is part of an effective treatment, especially if you live in an apartment building or attached house. Bedbugs can move easily between dwellings that share walls, so it is crucial to also inspect neighbouring homes. Remember, cleanliness has nothing to do with it. If they can get into your home, they will.

The final thing to be mindful of is preventing sharing your bedbugs with family, friends and co-workers. Limit what you take out of the house, and inspect all items and clothing carefully before you leave. It might even be worth sealing your handbag or briefcase in a clear plastic bin when you come home from work.

If you keep a level head and follow these practical tips carefully, you’ll be able to remove your bedbug problem quickly and effectively.