Bed bug treatment in Arnhem: from inspection to follow-up
You can only get rid of bed bugs once you know exactly where they are. During the inspection we take the bed apart where possible and check the mattress seams, slats, bed frame, bedside table, skirting boards and the backs of pictures. Only when we find live bugs, shed skins or eggs do we know for certain what we are dealing with.
Then comes the treatment. Heat is at the heart of our approach: at a high enough temperature both adult bugs and eggs die, even deep in seams where a product struggles to reach. Where needed we add a professional product in the cracks around the bed. On a follow-up visit we check whether any activity remains.
How to recognise bed bugs
These insects hide during the day and come out at night to feed. Watch for these signs:
- Itchy bites in a row or small cluster on the arms, neck or shoulders.
- Small black or dark brown specks on the mattress, fitted sheet or slats.
- Tiny blood spots on the pillowcase or sheet.
- Pale, empty shed skins in seams and corners.
- The bug itself: flat, oval and reddish-brown, about the size of an apple pip.
With a large infestation there is sometimes a sweetish, musty smell in the bedroom.
How bed bugs get into a home
Bed bugs don't walk in from outside; they are carried in. The best-known route is a suitcase after a hotel stay, holiday or business trip. A second-hand bed, sofa or bedside table bought online is another common source, as is a house guest who unknowingly brings them along.
In a block of flats they can crawl to the neighbours through gaps along pipes and skirting boards, and people who move house sometimes take them along in boxes and furniture. Mostly bites around the ankles and a cat or dog at home? Then flea treatment is probably what you need.
What not to do
The first instinct is often to sleep on the sofa or throw the mattress out straight away. Understandable, but that spreads the bugs around the house: they follow you to the sofa, and a mattress dragged unwrapped down the stairs leaves bugs behind on the way. A spray can or bug bomb from the shop mainly drives them deeper into walls and sockets.
- Leave the bed where it is.
- Don't move furniture or clothes to other rooms.
- Seal bedding and clothing in plastic bags until it can be washed.
- Then wash it as hot as the fabric allows and tumble-dry it.
Preventing bed bugs after travel or a purchase
In a hotel, put your suitcase on the luggage rack or in the bathroom rather than on the bed, and take a quick look at the corners of the mattress when you arrive. Back home, unpack in the hall or bathroom and wash travel clothes straight away. Check second-hand furniture outside, with a torch in every seam, before it comes indoors.
If you notice bites again after a treatment, let us know at once; the smaller the group, the simpler it is. For rodents, wasps and other pests, our general pest control in Arnhem is there to help.
