You wake up with small, itchy red welts on your arms and neck. Your partner has them too. You’ve changed your detergent, ruled out mosquitoes, and checked for allergies — but the bites keep appearing every morning. The culprit could very well be bed bugs, and the sooner you confirm and treat the problem, the better.
What Are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are tiny, flat, oval-shaped insects about 4–5 mm long — roughly the size of an apple seed. They are reddish-brown in colour, wingless, and feed exclusively on blood. They are expert hiders, slipping into the thinnest cracks imaginable, and they are mostly active at night when you are sleeping.
Despite common belief, bed bugs are not a sign of an unclean home. They travel in luggage, used furniture, clothing, and even books. Five-star hotels get them. Brand-new apartments get them. Anyone can get bed bugs.
How to Identify a Bed Bug Infestation
- Bites in a line or cluster — typically on exposed skin like arms, neck, face and shoulders
- Small blood stains on sheets — from accidentally crushing fed bugs during sleep
- Dark brown or black spots on mattress seams — their fecal matter, which looks like felt-tip pen marks
- Shed skins — bed bugs moult 5 times before reaching adulthood; you’ll find pale, papery husks in hiding spots
- A sweet, musty odour — produced by large infestations from their scent glands
- Live bugs — check mattress seams, box springs, bed frames, headboards, and behind wall fixtures near the bed
Where Bed Bugs Hide
- Mattress seams, piping, and tufts
- Box springs and bed frames
- Headboard — especially if attached to the wall
- Upholstered sofas and chairs near the bed
- Cracks in walls, floors, and skirting boards
- Inside electrical outlets and behind wall-mounted pictures
- Inside luggage and bags stored near the bed
Do Home Remedies Work?
- Essential oils (lavender, tea tree) — repel but do not kill bed bugs or their eggs
- Diatomaceous earth — can be effective over time but won’t reach bugs deep in furniture or walls
- Washing bedding in hot water — kills bugs on bedding only, not those in furniture or walls
- Vacuuming — removes some bugs but misses eggs in cracks; eggs must be manually removed
- Store-bought sprays — many bed bug populations are now resistant; they scatter bugs to new areas
“A bed bug infestation almost always requires professional treatment. The eggs are extremely resistant to most chemicals and home treatments. DIY attempts typically spread the infestation to other rooms.” — Xpress Pest Control Team
Professional Treatment: Heat + Chemical Combination
At Xpress Pest Control, we use a proven two-phase treatment protocol for bed bugs:
- Phase 1 — Chemical Treatment: Application of residual insecticides into all cracks, furniture joints, bed frames, and wall voids where bugs hide
- Phase 2 — Follow-up Treatment: A second treatment 10–14 days later to catch any bed bugs that have hatched from eggs since the first treatment
Our chemicals are odorless, government-approved, and safe for children and pets. You do not need to vacate your home for the treatment.
Prevention Tips
- Inspect hotel rooms before settling in — check mattress seams and headboard
- Keep luggage elevated on stands, away from the bed
- Wash and heat-dry all clothing after travel
- Inspect second-hand furniture thoroughly before bringing it home
- Use mattress protectors/encasements to eliminate hiding spots
- Reduce clutter around the bed — fewer hiding spots mean fewer bugs
