Magnified Bed Bug sample photographs. Photo 3 gives size comparison to a 5p coin.

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1 INFORMATION LEAFLET L14 ADVICE ON BEDBUGS WHAT ARE BED BUGS? Bed bugs are small wingless insects that feed solely upon the blood of warm-blooded animals. Hatchling bed bugs are about the size of a poppy seed, and adults are about 1/4 of an inch in length. From above they are oval in shape, but are flattened from top to bottom. Their colour ranges from nearly white (just after moulting) or a light tan to a deep brown or burnt orange. The host s blood may appear as a dark red or black mass within the bug s body. Because they never develop wings, bed bugs cannot fly. When disturbed, bed bugs actively seek shelter in dark cracks and crevices. Cast skins of bed bugs are sometimes discovered. Although such a finding confirms that bed bugs had been present previously, it does not confirm that any continue to infest the residence. Thus, inspect carefully for live crawling bed bugs. Because many other kinds of small brown bugs may be discovered, it is critical to ensure that the bugs are correctly identified. Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3 Magnified Bed Bug sample photographs. Photo 3 gives size comparison to a 5p coin. DO BED BUGS CAUSE HARM OR SPREAD DISEASE? Bed bugs seek out people and animals, generally at night while these hosts are asleep, and feed by piercing the skin. While feeding, they inject a tiny amount of their saliva into the skin to act as an anticoagulant. Repeated exposures to bed bug bites during a period of several weeks or more causes people to become sensitised to the saliva of these bugs; additional bites may then result in mild to intense allergic responses. The skin lesion produced by the bite of a bed bug resembles those caused by many other kinds of blood feeding insects, such as mosquitoes and fleas. The offending insect, therefore, can rarely be identified by the appearance of the bites. A doctor should be consulted to rule out other causes for the lesions and to offer treatment, as needed. The affected person should resist the urge to scratch the bites, as this may intensify the irritation and itching, and may lead to secondary infection. Bed bugs are not known to transmit any infectious agents. 1 of 6

2 WHERE ARE BED BUGS FOUND? Bedbugs are most abundant in rooms where people sleep, and they generally hide near the bed or other furniture used for sleeping. Bed bugs are most active in the middle of the night, but when hungry, they will venture out during the day to seek a host. Their flattened bodies allow them to conceal themselves in cracks and crevices around the room and within furniture. Favoured hiding sites include the bed frame, mattress and box spring. Clutter around the room offers additional sites for these bugs to hide, and increases the difficulty in eliminating bed bugs once they have become established. HOW DO BED BUGS INVADE A HOME? Because bed bugs readily hide in small crevices, they may stowaway and be introduced to a property via luggage, furniture, clothing, pillows, boxes, and other such objects when these are moved between apartments, homes and hotels. Used furniture, particularly bed frames and mattresses are of greatest risk of harbouring bed bugs and their eggs. Thus, one should carefully scrutinise and consider the history of any used furniture. Because they readily survive for many months without feeding (up to 18 months), bed bugs may already be present in apparently vacant and clean apartments. Bed bugs can wander between adjoining properties through voids in walls and holes though which wires and pipes pass. In a few cases, bats and/or birds may introduce and maintain bed bugs and their close relatives (bat bugs and bird bugs). HOW CAN YOU TELL IF THE RESIDENCE US INFESTED? Bed bugs infest only a small proportion of residences, but they should be suspected if residents complain of bites that occurred while sleeping. The bedroom and other sleeping areas should be carefully examined for bed bugs and signs of bed bug activity. Folds and creases in the bed linens, and seams and tufts of mattresses and box springs, in particular, may harbour bed bugs or their eggs. They may also be found within pleats of curtains, beneath loose areas of wallpaper near the bed, in corners of desks and dressers, within spaces of wicker furniture, behind cove moulding, and in laundry or other items on the floor or around the room. Sometimes, characteristic dark brown or reddish faecal spots of bed bugs are apparent on the bed linens, mattress or walls near the bed. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU FIND BED BUGS? Wrexham County Borough Council previously provided a pest control service, but this service ceased as of 1 st April 2015 to non-council owned premises. Council tenants can continue to request a pest control treatment by contacting the Council via the contact details below. For residents/owners of non-council owned premises, unfortunately we cannot recommend any pest control companies but we would recommend that you look for a professional pest controller in a local Telephone Directory or via an internet search engine. Preferably choose a Pest Control company that is a member of a trade association such as the British Pest Control Association ( and/or National Pest Technicians Association ( A Pest Control company will call to carry out an initial assessment. Any insects found should be sent to a qualified entomologist for identification. 2 of 6

3 Once their identity is confirmed, a careful plan should be devised to eliminate the bed bugs in a manner that promotes success while limiting unnecessary costs and exposure to insecticides. Don t discard furniture and don t treat until and unless you have a plan. WHAT CAN YOU DO TO MANAGE BED BUGS? Insecticidal treatment alone will not rid a property of a bedbug infestation. Managing bed bugs requires a planned approach that generally includes cleaning and room modifications, as well as insecticidal treatment. Search for signs of bed bugs. Carefully inspect the bed frame, mattress, and other furniture for signs of bed bugs and their eggs. Although dead bed bugs, cast bug skins and blood spots may indicate an infestation occurred previously; they do not confirm that an infestation is still active. Search for live (crawling) bugs and ensure they are bed bugs before considering treating. Reduce clutter to limit hiding places for bed bugs. Thoroughly clean the infested rooms as well as others in the residence. Scrub infested surfaces with a stiff brush to dislodge eggs, and use a powerful vacuum to remove bed bugs from cracks and crevices. Dismantling bed frames will expose additional bug hiding sites. Remove drawers from desks and dressers and turn furniture over, if possible, to inspect and clean all hiding spots. Mattresses and box springs can be permanently encased within special mattress bags. Once they are installed, inspect the bags to ensure they are undamaged; if any holes or tears are found, seal these completely with permanent tape. Any bugs trapped within these sealed bags will eventually die. To help prevent bed bugs from crawling onto a bed, pull the bed frame away from the wall, tuck in sheets and blankets so they won t contact the floor, and place the frame legs into dishes or cups of vegetable oil. Caulk and seal all holes where pipes and wires penetrate walls and floor, and fill cracks around skirting boards and cove mouldings to further reduce harbourages. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS? Landlords and property owners have legal obligations to provide safe and habitable accommodations for tenants. Certain infestations, including bed bugs, may constitute an unacceptable condition. Tenants have an obligation to co-operate with owners and landlords. This includes preparing the property so that the pest control operator can inspect the rooms and treat if necessary. Wrexham County Borough Council recognises the difficulties of treating a property found to have a bedbug infestation. Left untreated, or treated ineffectually, an infestation will grow and spread and affect several people and properties. For this reason the Council has adopted a strategy to ensure that properties affected by bedbugs are dealt with effectively. The strategy involves using all the methods described in this leaflet to help ensure effective treatment is applied swiftly. If you own your residence, you should contact a licensed pest control operator who is knowledgeable and experienced in managing bed bug infestations. If you are a tenant, contact your property manager or landlord to discuss your respective obligations, and to agree on a plan to manage the infestation. 3 of 6

4 Remember that successful treatment of an infestation requires careful planning. DO NOT EXPECT INSECTICIDAL TREATMENT ALONE TO SORT THE PROBLEM. You should expect a Pest Control Operator to request that the property is properly prepared before treatment is applied (see further information below Bedbug treatment What you should do). You should remember that it is the treatment that you are paying for, not the result, and it may take several treatments to completely eradicate the pest. INFORMATION LEAFLET L14 ADVICE ON BEDBUG TREATMENT - WHAT YOU SHOULD DO A professional pest control officer should be employed to treat the problem. However, there are a number of things you should do before any treatment is carried out. BEFORE TREATMENT YOU MUST: Vacuum all floors and upholstered furniture thoroughly to remove any debris, eggs, pupae etc. especially in bedrooms and other areas used by people for sleeping. The vacuum bag must be carefully disposed of. Put it in 2 plastic bags before putting it in an outside waste bin. Hard floor surfaces should be swept and washed or vacuumed. Empty wardrobes, drawers etc and wash the contents on the hottest wash possible. Strip the beds and wash bedding in the hottest temperature the fabric will allow (check manufacturers guidelines). NB: Clothes and bedding should be placed in bin bags in the affected room before being carried to the washing area so insects do not fall off during transit. Alternatively, you should tumble dry all clothing and bedding for at least an hour on high heat. Remove all articles from the floor (books, toys, magazines etc) so that as much of the area as possible can be treated. Pull furniture away from walls to allow treatment behind. Where possible beds and other known harbourages should be dismantled to allow them to be thoroughly treated. With box-beds the fabric covering the underside of the bed should be removed. Children and pets should not be present during treatment. Fish tanks should be removed or covered. Any open food should also be covered or removed. Whenever possible the only items in a room when treatment commences should be the bed, mattress and empty furniture. AFTER TREATMENT Keep out of the property until the insecticide has dried. You should expect this to take 2-3 hours. If it is not possible to stay out of the house, you should, as far as possible, stay out of the treated area(s). 4 of 6

5 Treated mattresses are ok to sleep on as long as they are dry but you should make sure a sheet covers the mattress to prevent insecticide getting onto skin. You may see some bedbugs for a number of days after treatment. This is due to eggs hatching. The insects will die once they come into contact with the insecticide. Do not vacuum for at least 3 weeks following treatment. The longer you leave the area without vacuuming the greater the chance that treatment will be successful. Remember DO NOT VACUUM FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AFTER TREATMENT at least for 3 weeks but ideally up to 6 weeks. FUTURE CONTROL High standards of hygiene and housekeeping alone are unlikely to control an infestation. However keeping a house clean will reveal the presence of bedbugs at an early stage, making control easier and reducing the chance of widespread infestation. There are a number of things you can do to help prevent bedbugs re-infesting your house. Change linens at least once a week, and wash at the hottest temperature the fabric will allow (check manufacturer s guidelines). Vacuum around the home at least once a week, paying special attention to areas surrounding bed and furniture posts. Temperature can have an effect on bedbug activity, therefore keep bedrooms cool, especially at night, by turning heating down or off, or leaving a window open. Look for holes in the floor and walls where bugs may be hiding. Seal gaps in furniture, floorboards and cracks in wallpaper and other such areas where bed bugs can hide during the day. If you are moving into a property for the first time: - Check rooms carefully before you occupy them in particular look around the edges of carpets and in the folds around the edge of the mattress Consider purchasing a new mattress Consider having carpets steam cleaned If you are travelling, carefully inspect any room you're about to inhabit. After you return from a trip, check your luggage for any insects that might have hitched a ride. FURTHER ADVICE To obtain further advice on any other pest issues, please contact the Housing, Public Protection and Environment Department: Telephone: contact-us@wrexham.gov.uk Or visit us at 5 of 6

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