Bedbugs UK – How Do You Know If You Have Bed Bugs and How to Treat Them

Oct 18, 2023 Creams and Ointments

There has been lots of news coverage about the Bed Bug Infestation that has Paris in its grip. With so much international travel centered around France’s capital city with Paris Fashion Week and most recently, the Rugby World Cup, there have been concerns about bed bugs spreading to the UK. Some reports suggest bed bug infestations are on the rise.

How Do You Know If You Have Bedbugs?

Telltale signs include:

Bites – check neck, arms and face, any skin that is exposed whilst sleeping. You may only have one or two, in extreme cases there can be hundreds.

Spots of blood – you may see spots of blood on bedding. These spots can be from the bites or from the bugs being squashed whilst you sleep.

Tiny brown spots – these are like grains of sand, dark brown in colour and these can be bed bug faeces.

Seeing Bed Bugs – You may see bed bugs crawling on furniture, clothing and skin. On paler skin bed bugs usually look red and on darker skin can be harder to see and look purple.

Bed bugs tend to hide during daylight hours. You may find them in tiny cracks and hard to reach places including:

• Bed frames
• Mattresses
• Clothing
• Furniture
• Behind pictures
• Under wallpaper

How Can You Treat Bed Bug Bites?

The bites from bedbugs will usually heal within a week or two, there are a few tips to help them heal quickly including:

No scratching – this can increase the risk of infection

Keep the area clean – bathing regularly and keeping bites clean will help heal them

Reduce itching and swelling – use a cool, damp, clean flannel on the affected area to reduce itching and inflammation

There are some medications you can use available from our pharmacy, these include:

Antihistamines, like Piriton tablets and Piriton Syrup to reduce itching and inflammation.

Mild steroid creams. Hydrocortisone cream such as Eurax HC Cream, this contains two active ingredients which work together to reduce inflammation and itching associated with bedbug bites. Children under 10 and pregnant women need to get advice from a GP. Eurax Cream 30g and Eurax Cream 100g is also suitable for effective itch relief from insect bites for 6-10 hours.

How Do You Get Rid of Bed Bugs?

On the NHS website, advice is to:

First and foremost, contact your local council or pest control services. Bed bugs can be very hard to get rid of as they can be resistant to common pesticides.

Wash all bedding and clothing on a hot wash (60C) alternatively you can put all bedding and clothing that’s been affected into a sealed plastic bag and freeze for 3 – 4 days.

Clean and vacuum all areas regularly, this will help keep all the nooks and crannies bed bug free!

Check all 2nd hand furniture and clothing before bringing it into your house.

Check all clothing if you’ve been somewhere that has an infestation of bed bugs or if you’ve been on public places.

How Can You Tell If It’s A Bedbug?

Carpet beetles can be confused with Bedbugs according to Rentokil – they are also small and flat and very common in homes.

Carpet beetles tend not to be found around beds and humans and will hide away in dark places. They only feed on carpets, upholstery and other natural materials like wool. Larvae look very similar to bed bug larvae but look like tiny caterpillars under magnification with tiny hairs. Bedbug larvae do not have these tiny hair details and are smooth.

If you’re not sure, and have had bites or noticed other signs as detailed above, contact your local council or pest control services.