Itchy bites in a line on your arms or shoulders, tiny dark spots on the mattress seams, or a small flat brown insect in the bed: if that's what you're seeing, you probably have bed bugs, and they need a proper treatment with a follow-up. Sprays from the supermarket won't clear them. The good news is that a well-planned treatment works, and it can be done discreetly.
How bed bugs end up in Waterkloof homes
Bed bugs are hitchhikers. They hide in luggage, clothing, bags and second-hand furniture and come home with you. In a suburb where many households travel often, host overseas visitors, or have staff and family moving between homes, that gives them plenty of chances. Diplomatic residences and homes with guest suites see a steady stream of luggage coming and going, and a single suitcase set down on a guest bed is enough to start a problem.
Older furniture is another route. Antique beds, upholstered headboards and pieces bought at auction have a lot of joints and crevices where bed bugs can hide for months without feeding.
Signs of bed bugs
- Bites, often in a row or cluster, that appear overnight
- Small rust-coloured or black spots on mattress seams, sheets or the headboard
- Pale, empty skins shed by growing bugs
- Live bugs, flat and brown, roughly the size of an apple seed, in seams, frames and furniture joints
- A faintly sweet, musty smell in a heavily infested room
Bites alone aren't proof. Mosquitoes, fleas and bird mites all bite people at night. If there's no sign in the bed, we'll look at the other options before treating for bed bugs.
How we treat them
Inspection
We check the beds, base, headboard, bedside tables, skirting near the bed, curtains, couches and anywhere guests or travellers sleep or sit. In larger homes we also check rooms next to the affected one, since bed bugs move along walls and through gaps.
Preparation
We'll give you a list before we come: wash bedding and clothing from affected rooms on a hot cycle, reduce clutter around beds, and don't move furniture from an infested room into another part of the house.
Treatment
We treat the bed, frame, seams, joints and nearby hiding places with registered products suited to bed bugs, working into the cracks where they shelter. For severe cases or items that can't be treated in place, fumigation with registered fumigants is an option, in which case the sealed area must be empty until it's cleared.
Follow-up
Bed bug eggs survive most treatments. A follow-up visit is part of the plan so the young that hatch afterwards are caught before they can breed.
What people get wrong
Moving to another bedroom to escape the bites. It feels sensible, but the bugs follow the person and the problem spreads to a second room. Keep sleeping in the same bed until the treatment is done, so the bugs stay where we can find them.
Throwing out the mattress is the other common reaction. Usually it isn't necessary, and if the frame, headboard and room aren't treated, the new mattress will be infested within weeks.
A tip for households that travel
When you come home from a trip, unpack straight into the washing machine and keep suitcases on a hard floor or in the garage, not on the bed or in the bedroom cupboard. Ask guests in the guest suite to use a luggage rack. It's a small habit that stops a lot of bed bug problems before they start.
What does bed bug treatment cost?
The price depends on how many rooms are affected, how much furniture needs treating, how heavy the infestation is and whether fumigation is needed. One guest room caught early is far less work than several bedrooms, couches and staff quarters. We quote after the inspection, and the follow-up visit is built into the plan.
For the background on bed bugs across the city, see bed bug control in Pretoria. If the bites seem to come from somewhere else, read about fleas in Waterkloof homes or the wider biting insect control for Waterkloof. Our guide to getting rid of bed bugs covers what you can do while you wait for us. We also treat bed bugs in Brooklyn, close to the university.
We're SAPCA registered with 25 years in the trade, and if bed bugs come back within three months, we come back. Phone 012 012 5526, or WhatsApp us a photo of the insect or the marks on your mattress.
Questions we get asked
Do bed bugs mean my house is dirty?
No. Bed bugs feed on blood, not dirt, and they turn up in very well-kept homes. They're carried in on luggage, clothing and furniture.
Can you treat discreetly?
Yes. We're used to working in private homes and residences with guests and staff, and we can arrange times that suit the household.
Do I have to throw away my mattress?
Usually not. Most mattresses can be treated. Replacing it without treating the frame and room just gives the bugs a new place to live.
Why do I need a second visit?
Because eggs are very hard to kill. The follow-up catches the young that hatch after the first treatment, before they can lay eggs of their own.
Can I stay in the house during treatment?
Yes, for a normal spray treatment, as long as children and pets stay off treated surfaces until they're dry. Only fumigation requires the sealed area to be empty.
How long can bed bugs survive without feeding?
For months, which is why an empty guest room can still have an active problem when the next visitor arrives.