Bed bugs

Photo credit: Bed bug Cimex lectularius on human skin By D. Kucharski K. Kucharska from Shutterstock

What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are bloodsucking parasites that feed off humans. 

They feed at night or at any time if a room is dark.

A bed bug bite is painless but their saliva causes irritation, swelling and redness.

Photo credit: 'Old box spring, underside of canvas strap 2' by louento.pix is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

How do you know it's a bed bug? 

Fully grown bed bugs are:

• 5mm - 7mm long
• rusty red / brown to mahogany in colour
• oval shaped, wingless and have flat bodies 

After feeding they become swollen, longer and dark red to dark brown in colour.

Where can you find them?

They live in:

• bedclothes
• mattresses
• bedsprings and frames
• soft furnishings
• cracks and crevices
• under wallpaper 

Why do you have bed bugs? 

Bedbugs are very easy to spread from person to person and place to place. They are usually brought into the home via second hand furniture, bedding, clothes and even books.

They can also be spread from furniture or items dumped in the street where close contact is made with human or pets.

How do you spot a bed bug problem?  

They are hard to see but leave signs cast skins on the surface where they rest.

Other signs of bed bugs are:

• black or brown spots of dried blood
• eggs
• eggshells
• shedded skin

When there are lots of bed bugs, there is often a bad smell too. 

What do you need to do before we carry out bed bug treatment?

If our officers have confirmed you have bed bugs, you need to get your room(s) ready for us to work in.

Find out how to prepare your property for bed bug treatment.