For many of us the thought of bedbugs fills our mind with disgust and the fear of germs being spread. These little blood-sucking insects can cause allergic reactions and infections. Most importantly, they can be quite irritating, leaving itchy, little red bite marks all over your body. There is no specific bed bug treatment but the doctor may prescribe medication for symptomatic relief. In the last few years Australia has seen an increase in the number of bedbug infestations being reported – an important reason to be aware of this problem, and to be forearmed in knowing how to get rid of bed bugs, in case the worst happens.

Bed Bug Symptoms

Depending on the extent of the bites, it might take days for bed bug bites to show up. These bite marks are generally found in clusters over exposed skin. Usually, bedbugs bite you when you are asleep and suck your blood every few hours. If there is a persistent pattern of bite marks on your skin, it might be an indication that your home is infested with these bugs.

What do Bed Bugs Look Like?

Bedbugs are often mistaken for small cockroaches. These insects can fly and the biggest ones can be 7mm. Yuk! The smaller ones can be about 1.5 mm. If you find something crawling on your bed that looks like a tic, it’s probably a bed bug. They are usually white in colour but turn red after sucking your blood.

How to Kill Bed Bugs

You need pest control experts to do the job effectively. If used incorrectly, or in excess, your family and pets will be at risk of having a serious adverse reaction to bed bug spray. So doing it yourself can be risky.

Instead allow the experts to conduct a thorough pest inspection so that all corners are covered. If the bedbugs have spread throughout your home and are present in beds, clothing and furniture it can be very difficult to treat yourself and you will likely need professional pest control to tackle the infestation. Once the problem has been cleared up don't forget to ask the experts how to spot the early signs of bed bugs so you can treat the problem before it gets out of hand.