How to get rid of bed bugs

Once a bed bug problem is discovered, most people just want to know the best way to eliminate them. Thankfully there are some simple steps you can take, prior to professional bed bug treatment, to help manage the level of an infestation from bed bugs. Watch our video on the 5 simple steps you can take to help eliminate bed bugs from your home.

High levels of hygiene, deep cleaning and the use of DIY bed bug spray products will help to kill some bed bugs. However professional treatment is often needed to successfully treat an infestation as it can be hard to get rid of bed bugs completely on your own.  DIY solutions are not usually powerful enough to eradicate the presence of bed bugs. They have built up resilience to many types of conventional pesticides, making even professional treatment difficult.

The first step to solving any pest problem is to know what pest you are dealing with. In this case, you need to be sure you have bed bugs and not another biting insect such as mosquitoes or fleas. Pest control services and solutions vary depending on the species infesting your home or business.

Bed bugs are nocturnal, only coming out at night to feed, which makes them difficult to spot. During the day they tend to hide in cracks and crevices near their preferred feeding area (usually a bed). If you can identify the common signs of bed bugs, it will help to confirm if there is an infestation present in your premises.

Correct identification of a bed bug or bed bug bite will help you to choose the most effective pest control solution, saving you both time and money.

DIY or Professional?

When it comes to getting rid of bed bugs, you are likely to need professional help even though there are DIY options to help reduce the numbers of bed bugs these are unlikely to eradicate an established infestation completely.

The DIY option, requires you to take a proactive approach to managing an infestation taking up a lot of time as you will need to be carefully monitoring the effectiveness of the DIY treatment. You will also need a basic awareness of common bed bug hotspots to make your DIY treatments as effective as possible and you'll need to understand how and where they can spread to ensure that all potential areas of infestation are monitored and treated.

The professional solution just needs you to contact your local, Rentokil expert at the first signs of bed bugs, to allow immediate treatment by BPCA (British Pest Control Association) certified technicians.

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  DIY bed bug treatment (not recommended)

  If you decide to control bed bugs on your own, there are a few steps you can take straight away to try and manage a small bed bug problem.

  How to get rid of bed bugs yourself

  1. Inspect - check bed bug hot spots such as mattress seams, bed frames, headboards, along the edge of carpets, and nearby furniture (cabinets, drawers, armchairs, sofas) for live insects.
  2. Wash - wash infested bedding at a high temperature of at least 60℃ for ideally 90 minutes minimum.
  3. Heat - If possible, place items into a tumble dryer for minimum 30 minute cycle.
  4. Vacuum - vacuum your bed, mattress, and any area near to where you have spotted bed bugs. Use the hose attachments to clean along walls and around edges. Afterwards, take the vacuum outside of your property to empty into an outside bin and seal securely.

  Although these steps can help to control the problem, they do not guarantee to eliminate a  bed bug infestation completely. The most effective solution for complete bed bug eradication is by an expert, professionally qualified pest controller.

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  Professional bed bug treatment

  How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Your Home

  Waking up to discover bed bug bites will still be very distressing, especially if young children are involved. If you've taken all the necessary bed bug prevention steps and have not achieved success with DIY treatments, your next step should be to contact a pest control professional.

  At Rentokil, our experts understand the habits of bed bugs and use their knowledge and expertise to choose the most effective bed bug control solutions for your property. We offer a range of bed bug solutions such as heat pod treatment and chemical which effectively manage a bed bug problem at each stage of their life cycle from eggs to fully grown adults.

  How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Your Business

  When it comes to bed bugs, businesses operating in the hospitality industry are at greatest risk. This is due to the high volumes of traffic hotels, B&Bs, and motels receive each day, which increases the risk of a bed bug infestation.

  The consequences are significant for brand reputation, customer reviews, employee morale, operational efficiency and ultimately revenue and profits. When it comes to bed bugs and business, DIY treatment is far too risky and cannot guarantee success. For complete protection, you should depend on a qualified, expert pest controller for expert bed bug control.

  At Rentokil we not only offer innovative bed bug solutions using heat pod treatment, but also provide training to help educate your staff on how to successfully spot the early signs of bed bugs in hotels and what to do before an infestation can take hold.

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  How to choose your pest controller

  How To Choose your Pest Controller

  To find the right professional pest control company, you need to ensure the entire organisation, as well as the pest control technicians are able to fulfill key criteria. A good pest controller should be able to anticipate and answer all your health and safety concerns. Services and treatments should be tailored to suit your individual needs as much as possible.

  Crucially a professional should also respect your home, property or business site and operate with the greatest care and attention. He or she should be able to voice any challenges or restrictions right from the start. Equally, as a customer, you should always feel able to voice any concerns and ask as many questions as you need to.

  Key criteria for Selection:

  1. Certifications - licences and certifications will demonstrate that your treatments are carried out to the highest industry standard practices.
  2. Affiliated associations - membership of recognised industry associations will ensure your services are provided by a trained, insured and trusted company, which has to comply to strict membership criteria.
  3. Personal recommendations - even today, word-of-mouth and personal recommendations can be more powerful than a company’s own word. Speak to neighbours, friends, family and check review sites to find out about customer satisfaction.
  4. Online reviews - independent online Customer Reviews - such as Trustpilot, can be a source of information by your peers on the services they have received.
  5. Transparency - complete honesty and transparency early-on regarding the cost, level and duration of treatment required will help you see if the company is reliable.
  6. Expertise & experience - a well established, recognised company can offer peace of mind in the services provided and its relationship with customers.

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  Why use Rentokil?

  With Rentokil you can be assured of complete pest protection from British Pest Control Association (BPCA) certified technicians. Our focus on control solutions will ensure elimination of your pest problem. At the same time, our approach to pest prevention will help your home or business remain pest-free long-term.

  Our experience and expertise in the pest control industry should reassure you of the quality of our service and our expertly trained pest controllers.

  • We tailor our treatments to target pests by species.
  • We customise our solutions based on the uniqueness of your home, building or business premises - recognising that every pest problem is different.
  • We use advanced solutions approved by industry governing bodies - helping to ensure reliability and success.
  • Our large network of entomologists and field biologists support the services and treatments used by our pest controllers on-site.

Contact us today, to get rid of your bed bug problem and eliminate any stress or concerns you have regarding pests in your property.