What Are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs (*Cimex lectularius*) are small, flat, oval-shaped insects about 5mm long — roughly the size of an apple pip. They're reddish-brown, wingless, and feed exclusively on blood. Despite what many people think, bed bugs are not a sign of an unclean home — they travel in luggage, clothing, and second-hand furniture and can infest even the most well-kept properties.
Bed bug cases have been rising steadily across the UK, including in the Midlands, largely due to increased international travel and the second-hand furniture market.
How to Tell If You Have Bed Bugs
Bite marks alone aren't reliable — they look similar to mosquito or flea bites and some people don't react at all. Look for physical evidence instead:
Dark spots on your mattress or bedding
Bed bugs leave small dark brown or black spots (dried faecal matter) along mattress seams, on the headboard, and on bedding. Run your finger along the seam of your mattress — if you see tiny dark dots, take it seriously.
Blood spots on sheets
Small red or rust-coloured stains on your sheets can be from engorged bugs being crushed during sleep.
Shed skins
Bed bugs moult five times as they develop. Pale, translucent shed skins are often found in the same areas as the faecal spots.
A musty, sweet smell
A large infestation produces a distinctive, unpleasant musty odour. It's sometimes described as raspberries or almonds — not pleasant in a bedroom context.
Live bugs
Adult bed bugs are visible to the naked eye but excellent at hiding. Check the seams and folds of your mattress, behind the headboard, in the joints of bed frames, behind electrical sockets near the bed, and in the spine of books on your bedside table.
What to Do Right Now
1. Don't panic and don't throw your mattress out
This is the most common mistake. Moving an infested mattress through your home spreads bugs to other rooms. A mattress can be treated and doesn't need to be binned.
2. Don't move to another room
Sleeping in a different room doesn't solve the problem — bed bugs will follow you. It just spreads the infestation to more of your home.
3. Reduce clutter around the bed
Bed bugs love hiding spots. Clear the area around the bed so treatment can reach all surfaces.
4. Wash and bag bedding
Wash all bedding, pillowcases, and clothing that may have been exposed at 60°C or above. Seal in bags immediately after and don't bring back into the room until treatment is complete.
5. Call a professional
DIY sprays from supermarkets are largely ineffective against bed bugs. They're resistant to many common insecticides and are very good at hiding from surface sprays. Professional treatment uses a combination of residual insecticides applied to all harborage points — often requiring two or three visits spaced 2 weeks apart.
Why Bed Bugs Are Hard to Treat
- They hide in cracks as thin as a credit card
- A female lays 1–5 eggs per day, up to 500 in her lifetime
- Eggs are sticky and resistant to most surface treatments
- They can survive for months without feeding
- They're developing resistance to some pyrethroid insecticides
This is why professional, targeted treatment — not a DIY spray — is essential.
Bed Bug Treatment in Leicester & the Midlands
Pest Control 24/7 provides discreet, professional bed bug treatment across Leicester, Wigston, Oadby, and the Midlands. All visits are carried out in unmarked vehicles.
Call 0116 3667269 any time or submit an enquiry online.