Bed bug treatment in Amersfoort: be sure first
Not every bite comes from a bed bug. Mosquitoes, fleas and mites can make you itch too. With bed bugs you usually see a combination of signs:
- bites in a line or cluster on arms, neck and shoulders, mostly noticed in the morning
- small black dots on the mattress, the bed frame or behind the headboard
- empty, translucent shed skins in seams and cracks
- flat, reddish-brown insects a few millimetres long, about the size of an apple pip
- a sweetish, musty smell when the infestation is large
Bed bugs say nothing about how clean you are. They travel with people and belongings, not with dirt.
How bed bugs get in and spread
Bed bugs hitch a ride. A suitcase that stood on a hotel floor, a second-hand sofa or bedside table, a guest's overnight bag: that is all it takes. Once inside, they look for a hiding place close to where someone sleeps, such as mattress seams, the bed frame, skirting boards, sockets and the backs of picture frames. At night they come out to feed on blood.
Escaping the bedroom to sleep on the sofa often takes the bed bugs with you, and then the living room becomes infested as well. In flats they can move to the neighbours through gaps and along pipework.
How our heat treatment works
After the inspection we know which rooms and pieces of furniture are affected. The core of our approach is heat: we bring the room or the items up to a temperature at which adult bugs, nymphs and eggs die. Where needed, we also treat seams and cracks with a professional product.
Beforehand you receive a clear step-by-step plan: what to wash, what to keep in bags and which cupboards to empty. Some time later we return for a check, because bed bugs can tuck themselves into unexpected corners and we want to be sure nothing has been left behind.
What to do yourself – and what to leave alone
You can prepare well for the treatment. Wash bedding and clothes that were in the bedroom at 60 degrees or more, or put them through a long, hot cycle in the tumble dryer. Keep washed items in sealed bags until the treatment is finished. Vacuum around the bed and throw the vacuum bag away outside straight away.
Leave the spray can and the bug bomb on the shelf: they drive bed bugs deeper into the walls and spread them across more rooms. Don't drag a mattress down a shared stairwell without wrapping it in plastic first. Being bitten and you have a dog or cat? It may be fleas instead, so read about flea treatment.
Stopping bed bugs from coming back
After a trip, unpack your suitcase in the bathroom or hallway rather than on the bed. Check the seams of clothes and bags and wash everything straight away. Bringing home second-hand furniture such as a bed, sofa or bedside table? Go over every crack with a torch first. A light-coloured zipped mattress cover makes it easier to spot trouble early. If the bites return anyway, don't wait: the smaller the infestation, the simpler the approach. For other pests, our pest control in Amersfoort can help.
