Bed bugs are small (around 5-9mm long), oval shaped insects and usually appear in shades of brown. You might easily mistake them for a wood tick due to their similarities. However, this colour changes slightly after they’ve consumed blood – this usually causes them to appear more reddish in colour, with an elongated body.

Bed bugs are wingless insects, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not fast – they can crawl very quickly along walls, floors and ceilings, making them very hard to catch.

Bed bug bites are usually arranged in a line or cluster pattern, and will typically be red and itchy. Due to their appearance, it’s very easy to mistake them for an allergic reaction or a standard bug bite.

Bed bug bites are a common sign that you may have an infestation of bed bugs in your home.

Signs of bed bugs include:

• Bed bug bites
• Blood stains/spots on your bedding
• Small brown spots on your bedding or furniture (bed bug excrement)

If you notice any of the above signs, it’s likely that you’ll need a bed bug treatment to remove the problem.

Bed bugs are most commonly caused by travel. Most often, bed bugs are picked up unbeknownst to people whilst travelling. They typically attach themselves to personal belongings (such as suitcases) or to a person themselves.

They can also be caused by second hand furniture, sourced from a home that has had a bed bug infestation. It is common for people to forego any checks for bed bugs when buying second hand furniture, but we’d always recommend doing so.

Bed bug treatment from a professional is undoubtedly the best way to permanently remove bed bugs from your home. However there are steps that you can take to aid the process such as:

• Wash any bed linen or clothing on a high heat
• Thoroughly vacuum clean carpets, furniture and bedding and dispose immediately