Don’t let the bed bugs bite!

If you’ve glanced at a newspaper or watched the news in recent weeks, chances are you’ve heard about bed bugs. They’re everywhere! You can’t get rid of them! They ruined Paris Fashion Week!

At least, that’s what it’s starting feel like. We’re here to put your mind at rest and to reassure you that bed bugs need not be the complete horror story you might imagine.

First, here are the facts, courtesy of the British Pest Control Association.

Bed bugs are insects and most closely resemble the flea in appearance – both have six legs, are wingless and can appear reddish-brown in colour.

However, they’re different from ticks, which are actually a type of arachnid (spider) and have eight legs. Unlike ticks, which can spread Lyme disease, bed bugs don’t have any disease risks associated with them.

So what do bed bugs do? Well, put simply, they bite. Their mouths are adapted especially for piercing skin and sucking blood, which sounds nasty, but remember they are tiny, not full-grown vampire bats!

Although there are no serious health risks attached to bed bugs, they can cause irritation and distress – after all, nobody wants unwanted bites in the night! The bites can be itchy and might cause painful swelling, with excessive scratching sometimes leading to infections.

So how do you know if you have bed bugs? Here are the things to look out for:

◆ Red, irritating bites on your skin, typically in rows on your neck, shoulders, back, legs or arms

◆ Small reddish-brown clusters or dark spots (about 1mm wide) that look like an ink dot on the bed frame, upholstery or the bottom side of the mattress

◆ And the most obvious but not always the first sign you find – seeing the small brown insects themselves, in and around your bed frame or sleeping area.

If you find any of this evidence, or are just worried that you may have bed bugs, here’s some helpful advice from household cleaning p