To get rid of bed bugs you need to follow our 5 Step Process

  1. Empty everything you can from the infected room. Bag it (to stop the spread) and wash & tumble dry (at the highest temperature), dry-clean or freeze.
  2. Thoroughly vacuum the room and everything else that remains in it.
  3. Spray a thin layer of insecticide over everything in the room and over the entire floor area. Leave the room.
  4. After a minimum of 2 hours you can re-enter the room and return the washed items. But do not clean or vacuum.
  5. Put fresh bedding on the bed. Then someone must sleep in the room every night to activate the bed bugs.

Read on for the full treatment guide

Banner: Before You Start

Some Useful Facts About Bed Bugs.

(and hopefully interesting too)

  • Bed bugs transfer from place to place by stowing away on such things as clothes, furniture and luggage. 
  • They only feed on human blood.
  • Females lay between 200-250 eggs. Eggs will hatch out between 6-10days.
  • After they have fed they will hide away in tiny gaps often smaller then 1mm. 
  • They can lay dormant for up to six months only become active when someone is sleeping close by.
  • Bites can be far itchier than those of a mosquito and can last far longer.
  • Different people will react differently to bed bug bites. With bites normally being far itchier than mosquito bites and can last far longer.
  • Hatchlings are almost translucent at first but once they have fed they become bigger and dark brown in colour. 
Banner: Getting Ready

How Do I Know I Have Bed Bugs?

  • Once bed bugs have fed they leave behind little black dots, this is their excrement.
  • Bites are often in patches and tend to be around joints. Main areas for bites (but not always) are: knees, wrists, elbows and neck.
  • Check for evidence. You’ll need to check mattress seams, headboards, bedside tables, chest of drawers, wardrobes, light fittings and electrical equipment. Pay special attention to the backs of furniture.
  • Bed bugs are almost perfectly round, have six legs and adults are a dark brown colour.

Preparing The Room

Wardrobes & Other Storage

  • These need to completely emptied and all clothes bagged and washed. 
  • Use bin bags to remove clothes and tie shut so that nothing can escape. You do not want the infestation spreading to other rooms.
  • Wash clothes on the highest recommended temperature and tumble dry if possible. Only return clothes once treatment is completed.

Bedding, Curtains & Soft Furnishings

  • These too need to be bagged, removed and washed or dry cleaned. Again, wash on the highest recommended temperature and tumble dry if possible.

Remaining Items

  • Remove all small items such as ornaments, picture frames and portable electronics.
  • The only things that should be left in the room before spraying should be: mattress, bed frame, headboard, wardrobes, bedside tables, chest of drawers, dressers, chairs, mirrors, rugs, house plants and wall pictures.

Final Step

  • Thoroughly vacuum every part of the room.

Note that all rooms with evidence of bed bugs must be prepared for treatment plus any adjacent rooms that are being slept in – even if there are no current signs of bed bugs.  

Banner: Please Be Safe
Poison Warning
  • Always wear gloves, mask and fully enclosed shoes and thoroughly wash your hands after spraying.
  • Wear eye protection if spraying above shoulder height.
  • If you get insecticide on your skin or in your eyes then wash immediately with fresh water. If there is any irritation seek medical advice.
  • Only the person applying the treatment should be in the room while it is being carried out.
  • Once the treatment is complete, shut the door and lock if possible. Do not re-enter the room for at least 2 hours, to allow the insecticide to dry.
  • Keep pets away at all times.
  • If in doubt, read the instructions on the product packaging.
Banner: Time For Action

Treatment Steps

  1. Put on your safety wear and carefully pour the insecticide into your sprayer. Pump up the sprayer to pressurise the insecticide.
  2. When spraying you only want a thin layer to touch any surface. If too much is applied the bed bugs will sense the insecticide and walk around it rather than over it.
  3. Start with the mattress, bed frame and headboard making sure you are covering all areas. Pay special attention to all the joints in the frame, the seams of the mattress and the back of the headboard. These are often the most common places to find bed bugs.
  4. Making sure you still have enough pressure in the sprayer move onto the furniture in the room. Everything must be covered completely so don’t forget the joints, bottoms and the back of the furniture.   
  5. Remove all pictures and mirrors and spray the backs.
  6. Spray all window sills, window frames and door frames.
  7. Once everything in the room has been sprayed you need to move onto the wall-floor junctions (skirting boards). Move furniture if needed.
  8. Now for the floor. Starting at the point furthest from the door, spray evenly as you back out of the room.
  9. Shut the door and do not re-enter for a minimum of 2 hours.
  10. Everything in the room should now be sprayed apart from the floors. If you have missed anything then this is the opportunity to spray it.

WARNING – if you are spraying above shoulder height you must wear eye protection. Also, make sure you are spraying with an outstretched arm and your face is well away from the end of the lance.

Aftercare

  • Do not vacuum or clean any part of the room for a minimum of 7 days, so as not to remove the insecticide before it has a chance to work.
  • Only put things back in the room that can’t be washed. Everything else can only re-enter the room once washed.
  • Put fresh bedding on the bed. Someone still has to sleep in the room every night to activate the bed bugs, if not then the treatment will not work!
  • One spray is often enough for a light to medium infestation that has been dealt with quickly. If you are still being bitten after 7 days then this is likely a heavier infestation and the treatment will need to be repeated.
  • After 7 days all the clothes and soft furnishings can be returned and the room cleaned as normal.

Download PDF Guide

Bed Bugs ⇩