Bed bug signs, what to do after travel, heat treatment and two-stage treatment.
The bed bug (Cimex lectularius) has returned to the agenda in recent years with growing tourism and travel. It can be carried home via hotels, hostels, dormitories and second-hand furniture. The good news is that it can be fully eliminated with proper detection and treatment. The bad news is that it spreads very fast if you are late.
How do you recognise a bed bug?
The adult bed bug is 5-7 mm long, oval, flat-bodied and reddish brown; it swells after feeding on blood. It is active at night and hides during the day in mattress seams, bed bases, headboards, curtain edges and socket boxes. Its bite usually appears as rows of itchy red bumps, but not everyone reacts to bites, so the absence of bite marks does not rule out a problem.
Early signs
- Small blood spots on sheets and mattress edges.
- Black, seed-sized dots (droppings) in mattress seams.
- Light brown shed skins and white eggs about 1 mm in size.
- A sweetish, mould-like smell (in heavy infestations).
What to do when you return from a trip
- Put the suitcase in the bathroom or on the balcony, not in the bedroom.
- Wash all clothes at 60 °C or above, or tumble dry on high heat for 30 minutes.
- Check the suitcase right into its inner seams with a torch.
- In hotels, putting your luggage in the bathroom rather than on the luggage rack is a good habit.
First response at home
Wash sheets and duvet covers hot, vacuum the mattress (seams, base, headboard), then tie the vacuum bag tightly and dispose of it. Fitting a bed bug-proof protective cover traps the insects inside and keeps new ones out. Placing barrier traps under the bed legs helps catch walking individuals.
Professional solution
Treating it yourself at home is often not enough, because eggs and individuals in crevices escape the product. In heat treatment the room is held at 55 °C for 4-6 hours, killing all stages including eggs without chemicals. In two-stage chemical treatment, a second application 10-14 days after the first targets newly hatched individuals. In both cases, monitoring of beds and furniture follows the treatment.
For hotels, dorms and guesthouses
When bed bugs appear as a complaint in accommodation businesses, a fast response prevents reputation loss. We offer room scanning, dog or camera-assisted detection, heat treatment and a periodic inspection programme.
FAQ: do bed bugs come from dirt?
No. Bed bugs do not distinguish clean from dirty; they only need human blood and a crevice to hide in. They can therefore appear in the cleanest homes and luxury hotels; there is nothing shameful about it, and a quick response is what counts.