Bed bugs
Furnishing a New Flat Second-Hand
Bed bugs do not come with the building. A new flat in Beaufort Park or around the station is as clean as a home can be on the day you move in, and bed bugs have nothing to do with cleanliness anyway. They travel in things, and the things most likely to carry them are the ones people buy used to fill empty rooms. How bed bugs get into a home lists the other routes.
Bed frames and headboards
A frame that has been taken apart for collection has bolt holes, slat joints and hollow sections where bed bugs sit out of sight. Upholstered headboards and divan bases, with fabric stapled over a timber frame, are worse, because there are dozens of folds and staples to hide behind.
Sofas and upholstered chairs
A sofa that someone slept on, even for a few nights, can carry them in the seams of the cushions, under the fabric on its base and in the joints of the frame. Bed bugs in sofas and furniture explains where to look.
Mattresses
Used mattresses carry the obvious risk, but a mattress from a friend's spare room is only as clear as that room was. Seams, piping and the label are where to look.
Checking Before It Goes Up in the Lift
Once furniture is inside the flat, any bed bugs in it are inside too, so the check is worth doing before you carry it in, ideally in daylight and with a torch.
- Look along seams, piping and labels for small dark spots that do not brush off
- Check joints, bolt holes and the underside of frames and bases for pale shed skins or live insects
- Turn the sofa over and look under the fabric covering its base
- If in doubt, do not bring it into the building at all
- Do not store unchecked furniture in a communal storage room or bike store, where it can spread to other people's things
The first signs of bed bugs shows what to look for.
If You Find Them After Moving In
Keep sleeping in the same bed. Moving to the sofa or another room carries them with you. Do not drag an infested mattress or sofa down the corridor unwrapped, or leave it in the bin store where someone else might take it; if it has to go, wrap it completely, mark it, and ask the managing agent how bulky items are collected. Many items can be treated instead of thrown out, as keeping the mattress explains.
Bites affect people very differently and are not proof on their own. For bites that are sore or infected, speak to a pharmacist or GP, and call 999 for signs of a severe allergic reaction. Bites around the ankles with a pet in the flat may be fleas instead.
Booking Bed Bug Control in Colindale
When you book bed bug control, say which rooms are affected, what furniture came in and when, and whether the living area is open-plan. Halls are not counted as rooms. Before the visit, leave the bed as it is, and bag clothes from the affected rooms; preparing a room for treatment gives the full list. How long it takes depends on the flat and on how far they have spread, and you should get back in touch if you are still being bitten or find live insects later.
The Flats Around You
If you have lived with them for a while before noticing, it is fair to tell the neighbours either side and your managing agent, since bed bugs can move between flats in a block. Small bristly larvae on the bedroom carpet are more likely carpet beetles, which cause a different kind of skin irritation. For bed bugs in other kinds of Barnet homes, see Bed Bug Control Barnet.
