Bed bug treatment in Eindhoven: what to look for
Bed bugs are flat, reddish-brown insects about the size of an apple pip. By day they hide in seams and cracks; at night they come out to feed on blood. Not everyone reacts to the bites, so one person in the house may notice them while another does not. Signs to watch for:
- itchy bites in a line or cluster on arms, neck, shoulders or legs
- small black spots along the mattress seams and on the slatted base
- tiny blood stains on the sheet or pillowcase
- empty, see-through shed skins around the bed
- live insects in the screw holes of the bed frame or behind the headboard
How bed bugs get into a home
Bed bugs hitch a ride in suitcases, rucksacks and clothing after a stay in a hotel or hostel, and hide in second-hand beds, sofas and bedside tables. In buildings with shared walls they also crawl along pipes and under doors from one room to the next.
If the bites are mainly around your ankles and you have a cat or dog, fleas are the more likely culprit. They need a different approach, which you can read about under flea treatment.
How we get rid of bed bugs with heat
During the inspection we use a strong torch to check the mattress, bed frame, bedside tables, skirting boards, sockets and curtain rails, and the neighbouring rooms if needed. Only once we are sure it is bed bugs do we draw up a treatment plan.
The core is a heat treatment: we heat the room and its contents to a temperature that bed bugs and their eggs cannot survive. Cracks that heat struggles to reach are treated with a targeted product as well. Getting rid of bed bugs rarely succeeds in a single round without a check, so we always plan a follow-up visit. It is one of the more specialist jobs within our pest control in Eindhoven work.
What you should and should not do yourself
Wash bedding, pillowcases and clothes on a hot cycle and dry them in the tumble dryer. Anything that cannot be washed goes into sealed plastic bags until after the treatment. Vacuum the mattress and the edges of the floor, and throw the vacuum bag away outside.
Do not throw out the bed or sofa in a panic: dragging an infested mattress through the stairwell only spreads the insects. Do not move to the sofa or another room to sleep either, because the bed bugs will follow you. Insect sprays and foggers from the shop mainly drive them deeper into cracks and neighbouring rooms.
Keeping bed bugs out in future
When travelling, check the mattress seams and headboard in your hotel room before unpacking. Keep your suitcase on the luggage rack rather than on the bed or the floor. Back home, unpack in the hallway or bathroom and put clothes straight into the washing machine.
Buying a second-hand bed, sofa or bedside table? Go over every seam with a torch before it comes indoors. A zipped mattress encasement also makes it easier to spot early if anything has moved back in.
