Is it bed bugs? A little clarity
Three things to look for. No need to panic.
If you see any of them, you are in the right place, and you have not done anything wrong. Bed bugs come home in luggage, on second-hand furniture and through shared walls. They are not caused by dirt.
Real bites on an arm. They often come in a line or a small group, on skin that was uncovered in bed. Bites alone are not a diagnosis
01 / LOOK FOR
Bites in a line or a cluster
Small, itchy marks, often in a line or a tight group, on skin that was uncovered in bed. Bites alone cannot tell you for certain, because other things cause them too, and some people never react at all.
Real spotting along a headboard seam. The smudges are where someone tried to wipe it off: the spots stain. Check sheets, mattress seams and frame joints
02 / LOOK FOR
Dark spots along a seam
Small dark spots, like a pen dot, on the sheet, on the mattress seams or on the bed frame joints. They are droppings or staining, and they smear when wiped.
A real bed bug on a mattress, about the size of an apple pip. They are flat, oval and rusty brown, and hide in seams, frames and gaps. Check the seams first
03 / LOOK FOR
A live bug or a shed skin
A flat, oval, rusty brown insect about the size of an apple pip, or the pale, papery skins that young bugs leave behind as they grow. They hide in seams, frames and gaps, and come out at night.
Bites cannot confirm bed bugs
Other things cause similar marks, and some people never react. We cannot diagnose from a photograph alone. A photo helps us say whether it looks like bed bugs and whether an initial response is the right next step.
If you are reading this late
What to do tonight
We know how it feels. We have been through it ourselves.
Try to stay in your own bed.
Moving to another room can spread bed bugs. We know that is a hard thing to be told when something is biting you, and it is why we can help.
Do not use shop bought sprays or powders.
They scatter the bugs and make a treatment harder.
Take a clear photograph.
Send us a photo of whatever you have found.
Not sure?
Send us a photo.
Send a photo of what you've found to us on WhatsApp and we'll tell you what we think. There is no form to fill in. Replies come 6am to 10pm.
A calmer wait for treatment.
When we visit for your initial response, we confirm what is going on and fit a containment kit to each bed. It closes off the places bed bugs like most and holds the problem where it is, so you can stay in your own bed while you wait, which often means fewer bites. Containment does not get rid of bed bugs.
A fixed price for your home, not an estimate.
What is a containment kit? How it works