Anybody know anything about bed bugs????

[HandbagAddiction]

So we have recently have visitors to the house over the weekend who have gone home to discover that they have bed bugs in their own home. They think that the bugs are restricted to a single bedroom and are being 'fumigated' tomorrow.

I know nothing about bed bugs or how they are transmitted - can anyone help?

I can obviously check the bed that they were sleeping in and the matresses that both their children were sleeping on - but to what extent can things be passed on and what else should I be looking for?

Help!

[anorak]

Hello

They are brought in on clothing or in bags so it's possible they might have been brought into your home. For instance you can sit on an infested bed and get them in your clothes.

They are small (about 5mm long), oval, reddish-brown and flat and can squeeze through thin gaps. They tend to hide in the seams on mattresses and only come out at night. The bites are quite sore and painful. If you do have them nip them in the bud as they are difficult to shift once they establish themselves - and they are very hardy - can live for months without food or water.

Wash bed linen at 60 degrees and tumble dry on high. Do the same with the pillows and duvets if they can withstand it. Use the launderette if your machines aren't large enough to cope. Inspect the mattress seams with a torch to check for them. If you find any call in pest control to spray the room. Don't use Rentokil, I found them useless and overpriced when I was running backpackers' accommodation.

Having said all this you will be very unlucky to have them, especially if your friends only had them in a spare room. Good luck.

[cecilie]

Hey

My sister and I own a few properties in Norway (I'm from there but live in the UK) and we rent out to business people and tourists. Last year one of our guest complained about being bitten whilst sleeping.

It tured out there were bed bugs. These are tiny creatures that live by sucking blod out of humans or animals.

They then 'retire' for quite a while (dormant) and come back weeks later for more. They lay eggs too so spread quickly. They get transported from country to country in people's suitcases and are common in hotels across the world and is a widespread problem.

Look here: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1574152/Bed-bug-epidemic-hits-New-York-City.html

It has become a more common problem as we all travel more.

We had to throw away beds, linen and everything and fumigated the affected rooms. We thought we got rid of the problem, but they came back and we needed a second treatment. Luckily they seem to have gone now. Note that during the day they can hide in cracks of walls, in beds in/under mattress, behind wall pictures etc. so you will need a professional to help you to get rid of the problem.

Good luck!!

Regards
Cecilie

[misi]

I have been told that washing your bedding with a small amount of tea tree or eucalyptus oil can kill them off and stop re infestation. and wiping the mattress cover with a dliute solution too. never tried it and not so sure about it but if its right, it means that you would not have to use chemicals. also my BIL told me that his brother whilst in australia was told to use his steam wallpaper remover to steam the mattress to kill off bugs and then leave to dry and hoover. apparently when he got home to the uk, he bought a steam cleaner thing and regularly steams his mattress and surrounding area of carpet ''just to be safe''!!

[LittleMyDancingForJoy]

they love wood, as well, so check any hole or gaps in bed frames and furniture, you might find them holed up in there. also the folds of curtains.

they are evil.