Bed bug treatment in Den Bosch: the signs
Bed bugs are flat, reddish-brown insects about the size of an apple pip. They come out at night to feed on blood and hide close to the bed during the day, so you usually notice their traces first.
- itchy bites in a line or cluster on arms, neck, shoulders or legs
- small blood spots on the sheet or pillowcase
- black dots – their droppings – in mattress seams and on the bed frame
- pale brown shed skins and tiny white eggs in cracks
- a sweetish, musty smell in the bedroom when there are many
Not everyone reacts to the bites, so a partner may notice nothing at all while you are being bitten.
How bed bugs get into your home
Bed bugs have nothing to do with hygiene. They hitch a ride: in a suitcase after a hotel stay, in a second-hand sofa or mattress, in a guest's bag or among your belongings when you move house. Once inside, they head for wherever people sleep.
In apartment buildings they can also travel to the neighbours along pipes, sockets and cracks in the walls, which is why we check adjoining rooms when we are called to a flat. The earlier an infestation is found, the smaller the treatment. If in doubt, ring our pest control in Den Bosch for an inspection.
Our heat treatment for bed bugs
During the inspection we examine the mattress, bed frame, bedside tables, skirting boards, curtains and sockets. That tells us which rooms are affected and how far the bugs have spread. You then get clear instructions: what to wash beforehand, what to bag up and what can stay in the room.
The treatment itself uses heat. We bring the affected room or items up to a temperature at which bed bugs die at every stage, eggs included. Heat penetrates seams, cracks and furniture padding where a spray cannot reach. On a follow-up visit we check for any live bugs or fresh traces.
Doing it yourself? What helps and what doesn't
Wash bedding and clothes from the bedroom at 60 degrees or more, or tumble-dry them on the hottest setting, and keep the clean laundry in sealed plastic bags. Vacuum the mattress seams and the edges of the floor, and throw the vacuum bag away outside straight afterwards.
Don't use insect spray from the shop: it only drives the bugs deeper into cracks or into the next room. Don't let guests sleep in the affected room for now, and don't take pillows or duvets to the sofa. The less that moves between rooms, the smaller the area we need to treat.
Bed bugs or fleas?
Bed bug bites tend to appear on skin left uncovered at night, such as the arms, neck and shoulders, and they often form a row. Flea bites are more likely around the ankles and lower legs, usually in a home with a dog or cat. The approach differs too: for fleas we mainly treat floors and the places where your pet lies. You can read more about that on our flea treatment page.
