Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

B*d bug spotted

26 replies

OneMerryUmberAnt · 08/08/2025 19:23

Spotted a bd bug earlier. Was tidying out room and I was sitting on our bed and it was on my tshirt. It was definitely a bd bug.

We all got back from overseas a week ago and are regular users of public transport.

B*d bugs have always been a worry of mine so I tend to avoid sitting on the bus/tube but have been more relaxed recently. I usually check mattresses etc. on holiday but didn't this time :(

I don't know how to break this to DH and I think it will freak out the kids particularly DD. He is out after work tonight.

The thought of all the work involved is daunting, even if we call in pest control. Our bedroom is very cluttered particularly my wardrobe - lots of paperwork etc- stuff I should have sorted, big pile of clothes to sell/donate in spare room etc. It is my mess.

It stressed DH out when we had a rodent infestation a few years ago although we managed to eradicate it ourselves.

I think he will blame me because I always have clutter/clothes/soft toys on floor by side of my bed. I am messy.

How can we have people over to our house? I will have to tell parents and then my mum will get stressed.

I wish I hadn't seen the f*cker now.

Anyone out there like me with clutter/mess that has sorted it? It is embarrassing- usually bedroom is out of sight to visitors.

OP posts:
TheSybil · 08/08/2025 20:15

I would start sorting now. Dealing with the bed bugs will be more overwhelming than sorting out your clutter. You will need to tell anyone who visits and hide the tell-tale bed bug bites, if you let it get out of control.

I spend a lot of time in bed bug-infested homes for work, and watching them climb over the walls is incredibly unpleasant.

SomeOfTheTrouble · 08/08/2025 20:17

Sorry, not answering the question but why have you put an asterisk in bed?

TY78910 · 08/08/2025 20:18

SomeOfTheTrouble · 08/08/2025 20:17

Sorry, not answering the question but why have you put an asterisk in bed?

This is the only reason I’m commenting on this thread. Are bed bugs censored now? Can they read this and stage an attack?

thenightsky · 08/08/2025 20:20

TY78910 · 08/08/2025 20:18

This is the only reason I’m commenting on this thread. Are bed bugs censored now? Can they read this and stage an attack?

Show quote history
Grin
NoEffingWay · 08/08/2025 20:24

The only thing you can do is call in pest control. Have you got a picture of it?

Brenna24 · 08/08/2025 20:25

Urgj. I am sorry. It happened to us 9 years ago. It was so much work to sort and I still feel.a bit traumatised. We rented a storage locker and hot washed and tumble dried things, then shoved them straight into vacuum storage bags and into storage. Then we got people in to spray the place. Then regularly steam cleaned everywhere. Then decluttered moving things back in 6 months later. Carefully checking each bag before it got opened. We also got rid of our bed and mattress.

Ilovemyshed · 08/08/2025 20:27

Just tidy up, clean and spray. Not so hard?

cyvguhb · 08/08/2025 20:29

Bed bugs (no *) aren't caused by mess, why would your husband blame you? Presumably you brought one back from holiday

cyvguhb · 08/08/2025 20:30

Ilovemyshed · 08/08/2025 20:27

Just tidy up, clean and spray. Not so hard?

I've never been affected, hope I haven't jinxed it, but I read a thread recently about how absolutely horrendous they are to get rid of, it sounded awful

Sunshineandrainbow · 08/08/2025 20:31

I dread this as I am messy too. If you don't work weekends try and make a dent in your bedroom this weekend. Wash things on 60 degrees and bag it up.

Notmyreality · 08/08/2025 20:32

I’ve had enough of this.
Im off to b*d.

iamnotalemon · 08/08/2025 20:33

Ilovemyshed · 08/08/2025 20:27

Just tidy up, clean and spray. Not so hard?

They’re a bit harder than that to get rid of 😂

EchoedSilence · 08/08/2025 20:46

Ring a p*st control company.

cyvguhb · 08/08/2025 20:50

EchoedSilence · 08/08/2025 20:46

Ring a p*st control company.

It's the f*rniture that can't be typed in full, not the critter 😂

CaptainMyCaptain · 08/08/2025 20:54

SomeOfTheTrouble · 08/08/2025 20:17

Sorry, not answering the question but why have you put an asterisk in bed?

This.

CaptainMyCaptain · 08/08/2025 20:54

EchoedSilence · 08/08/2025 20:46

Ring a p*st control company.

🤣

Strollingby · 08/08/2025 22:34

When we had them I stuffed the things I didn't need immediately into bin bags, tied them up and into the shed. Then dealt with what was left.
They didn't get to the wardrobe/chest of drawers and luckily we had wooden floors and bed frame but steamed frame/mattress/floor 3 times a week for a couple of weeks then dropped frequency. Also used spray/powder in under bed drawers and got rid of them without pest control
Good news is that if they came from your holiday they haven't had time to establish.

boulevardofbrokendreamss · 08/08/2025 23:15

Why b*d?!

Original poster
OneMerryUmberAnt · 08/08/2025 23:39

SomeOfTheTrouble · 08/08/2025 20:17

Sorry, not answering the question but why have you put an asterisk in bed?

I know it is cranky - just trying to avoid DH to come across this thread if he searches the Internet... illogical I know...

OP posts:
Original poster
OneMerryUmberAnt · 08/08/2025 23:43

Strollingby · 08/08/2025 22:34

When we had them I stuffed the things I didn't need immediately into bin bags, tied them up and into the shed. Then dealt with what was left.
They didn't get to the wardrobe/chest of drawers and luckily we had wooden floors and bed frame but steamed frame/mattress/floor 3 times a week for a couple of weeks then dropped frequency. Also used spray/powder in under bed drawers and got rid of them without pest control
Good news is that if they came from your holiday they haven't had time to establish.

Thank you.

OP posts:
Original poster
OneMerryUmberAnt · 08/08/2025 23:43

Sunshineandrainbow · 08/08/2025 20:31

I dread this as I am messy too. If you don't work weekends try and make a dent in your bedroom this weekend. Wash things on 60 degrees and bag it up.

Thank you.

OP posts:
PencilsInSpace · 10/08/2025 10:19

I'm messy and tend to have loads of stuff stored around the bed. When we had bedbugs we managed to get rid of them without having to upturn the entire house. Unless you've already blasted them with pesticides and caused them to scatter you only need to focus on the area 3 feet around the bed(s). I wrote a couple of detailed posts on this thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/housekeeping/3915786-Bed-bugs-clearance-diy?page=2&reply=98435638

Don't be ashamed, it's not your fault. If your husband is any sort of a decent bloke he will understand that Flowers

UnlimitedBacon · 10/08/2025 10:21

Ilovemyshed · 08/08/2025 20:27

Just tidy up, clean and spray. Not so hard?

Bedbugs are classed as an environmental hazard and can be really tricky to eradicate

PencilsInSpace · 10/08/2025 10:26

Although before you do anything it's worth getting it confirmed that you actually have bedbugs. I know you say it was definitely a bedbug that you saw but crawling on your t shirt is unusual behaviour, especially if it was during the day.

Balloonhearts · 10/08/2025 10:34

Pick up everything off the floor, everything touching the bed or walls. Wash everything you can at least 60 degrees and what you can't, vacuum thoroughly and then spray with bed bug killer. Vacuum the edges of the room, under furniture, the mattress itself, everything. Spray bed bug killer everything. You need to intervene before it becomes an infestation.