If you are already itching at the thought of potentially getting bed bugs as an infestation threatens to sweep across the UK, you might want to start being double careful as it could cost a fair whack to get rid of the critters.
Of course, a lot of the stuff about the bed bug ‘epidemic’ is just scaremongering and hyperbole, but it’s also true that incidents of infestation are on the rise.
There’s definitely a problem in Paris, and there are concerns – even admitted to by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan – that it could spread across the channel before too long.
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The sad truth is, there are already loads of bed bugs in the UK already, so we don’t need to be appointing extra tiny border guards at the Eurostar at St Pancras - they’re already here.
The problem is they like warm weather, which we’ve been seeing quite a bit of recently, and they’re pretty hard to stop - on account of them clinging to just about everything and being tiny.
Even more problematic is the potential cost if you get a really bad infestation, which could run over £1,000.
Obviously, that would be an absolute worst case scenario, and you might be able to get rid of them with a hot bedding wash, but we’ve had a look at the figures on Checkatrade, a site that connects people with local tradespeople, to see what they reckon the approximate cost might be.
If you want to have the job done professionally – and you might need to – it could run to quite a bit.
The UK average for a callout and inspection – as stated on their website – is around £60, with a treatment costing about £280 on average.
There is an estimated dry steaming cost of £65 per additional room, and - again, on average – a chemical treatment cost will be £40 per room.
Then, if you need a full heat and insecticide treatment you’re looking at £1,000.
According to their website: “Bed bug exterminator costs may be higher than you were expecting, and this is simply because of the hardy nature of these pests.
“They are notoriously persistent, and one treatment is rarely enough. Professional bed bug treatment options include multiple treatments over a couple of months to make sure they’re gone for good.
“Some specialists even offer a bed bug removal guarantee.
“This includes free follow on treatments if any bed bugs are found within a certain time period after the main treatments have been completed.
“Bed bug removal costs start from as little as £60 for an inspection, and rise to over £1,000 depending on the treatment method.”
As per NHS recommendation, if you do find that you’ve got bed bugs, you’re better off getting the pest control experts involved.
If you live in rented accommodation, you can contact your landlord, council, or housing authority.
To avoid the whole thing altogether – although there’s no silver bullet – you can keep vacuuming around your bed, regularly cleaning the frame, and checking the mattress for signs.
Check regularly too, as beg bug expert David Cain warned: "If you don't get into that disciplined practice of checking once a month, there will come a day when you tip your mattress up and there's going to be maybe 5,000 or 6,000 bed bugs looking back at you.
"Once they've been in your property for more than about 60 days, the population is doubling every 14 days."
Remember, it’s worth checking and catching the problem early, as you don’t want to end up paying out more than a grand to get the problem fixed.
Tom Wood