Bedbugs
Find out how to:
How to spot bedbugs
Bedbugs are small blood sucking insects that can live in dark cracks in and around your bed.
Attracted by your body heat, they crawl out at night to bite your skin and feed on your blood, just as mosquitoes do.
Spotting them can be difficult, but the first place to look at is your mattress and nearby furniture like bedside tables. Use a torch to see if you can spot any.
Signs of bedbugs include:
- itchy bites or bumps that appear after being in bed
- black spots on your mattress, bed frame, skirting boards and other furniture, this could be their dried faeces
- small blood spots on your sheets where you may have rolled over and squashed a bug.
Preventing bedbugs
It can be difficult to prevent bedbugs as they can be brought into a property easily.
To try and prevent bedbugs you can:
- inspect your mattress regularly for signs and take action if needed
- avoid buying second-hand mattresses
- replace old beds you might be using in rented accommodation
- keep your bedroom tidy, especially under your bed, to reduce the amount of hiding places for bedbugs.
Treat bedbugs yourself
It can be very difficult to get rid of bedbugs yourself, so it’s wise to get professional help.
If you want to try treating the bedbugs you can:
- wash bed sheets at 60 degrees or put them in a dryer on a hot setting for 30 minutes to kill the bugs
- use a vacuum cleaner to suck up any bugs you can see
- use an insecticide spray made for bedbugs, always read instructions on the label.
We cannot be held responsible for any damage, loss or injury caused by following this advice.
If you’ve been bitten by bedbugs you can read more about treatments for itching and visit your doctor if necessary.
Book a treatment
We’ve partnered with Medway Norse to offer a pest control service for your home or business.
We can visit you Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm.
Call 01634 283 215 to discuss treatment options.
For more information, view our terms and conditions.
Cost and payment
It will cost:
- £200 for a 1 bedroom home
- £240 for a 2 bedroom home
- £280 for a 3 bedroom home
- £320 for a 4 bedroom home
- £360 for a 5 bedroom home.
We may need to carry out 2 treatments, both of which are included in the costs above. If you need any further treatment, you'll need to pay an additional fee.
Prepare for your treatment
There are certain tasks we need you to do before we visit your home or business for a bedbug treatment.
This is so your treatment can be as effective as possible.
For each bedroom, you need to:
- remove all bed sheets from each bed
- take down curtains and nets
- wash all bed sheets, curtains and clothing at 60 degrees and then put them in the dryer on a hot setting for 30 minutes to kill the bugs, or have these items dry cleaned
- empty bedside cabinets and drawers under beds
- remove all items from the floors and under beds.
If you do not carry out these preparations before we arrive, we will not be able to go ahead with the treatment and you will not be refunded.
At your treatment
People and pets must leave the home whilst it is being treated. This is because it will be sprayed with an insecticide to kill the bedbugs, which can be harmful to humans before it is dry.
After your treatment
There are certain rules you must follow after your treatment to make sure it’s as effective as possible.
You must not:
- enter your home for at least 2 hours afterwards because the insecticide spray can be harmful to people and pets
- vacuum the carpets for at least 15 days to allow the spray time to work.
You must:
- continue using the beds in the rooms where the bedbugs are. This will attract the bugs out of hiding and onto the treated areas. If you do not use the beds, the bugs will not be killed
- deep clean the bedrooms before our second visit.