How to check if you have bedbugs as experts warn infestation has hit the UK
As you might have already heard, there’s a bit of a bed bug epidemic taking place, with serious infestations reported in Paris.
However, experts have also claimed that we needn’t worry about the pesky critters making their way over the UK, because – simply put – they’re already here.
Yes, Britain – particularly London – has a problem all of its own when it comes to the bed bugs, and they aren’t just confined to the capital.
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So, what can you do to try to keep the bed bugs at bay, or – heaven forfend – if you’ve got them already, what can you do to get rid of them?
Luckily, we’re here to give you the words of the experts on what needs to happen if you find any bed bugs.
No, we’re not going to tell you to drag your mattress outside and set it on fire, despite the fact that you might immediately want to do that.
The first thing – and this might seem patently obvious – is to make sure that your bed is clean.
This means regularly cleaning the bed frame, checking your mattress, and vacuuming around the bed.
That means that if you actually find any bed bugs, you can make sure you get rid of them quickly.
If you want something a bit more sophisticated, you can install a bed bug monitor that will go on your mattress and let you know if any bed bugs are spotted.
Speaking to Sky News, bed bug expert David Cain from company Bed Bugs Limited, 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."
If you do spot any, the most important thing is not to panic.
There are three common mistakes Cain warns against – using an aerosol-based insecticide, using a fogger, and throwing away the mattress/furniture altogether.
That can mean that you simply transfer the problem to another bit of furniture.
If you found out quickly, you can sometimes get rid of it by vacuuming and washing bedding and clothes on a hot wash, but – ultimately – if the problem is more advanced you are best to just get someone in.
The NHS advises getting a pest control company in to help with the infestation.
If you're living in rented accommodation, contact your landlord, council, or housing association.
As for how to spot evidence of bed bugs, you’ll probably see some bites, which can be itchy and often found in a line, or blood on the bedding, either from a bite or a squashed bed bug that recently fed.
You might find some brown marks too, which – unfortunately – is probably bed bug poo.
Great.
The adult bed bugs are about five millimetres long and brown, looking a bit like an apple pip, and the eggs are about one millimetre and white.
Mercifully, bed bug bites are not known to cause disease, but you can treat them with antihistamines, by using steroid cream, or even something cold will help.
The real trick is to not get the bed bugs in the first place, but – with everything that is going on – that won’t always be possible for everyone.
Tom Wood