One sighting is not a verdict
Treatment does not flip a switch. Bugs that were deep inside a frame or behind a skirting board can emerge over the following period. A few sightings that become less frequent tell a very different story from fresh signs every morning. Try not to judge the result on a single night.
Eggs laid before the visit
Bed bug eggs are cemented into tight cracks and are extremely hard to see. Young bugs hatching from them can appear some time after the visit. They are tiny and pale, so a newly spotted nymph is not necessarily a sign of new arrivals.
A room that was left out
A problem can carry on because a room was never counted: a sofa where someone sleeps now and then, a child's bed a parent sometimes shares, or a spare room where a guest stayed. Bugs in that room can walk back into the one that was treated.
Belongings kept aside
Suitcases, bags of clothes packed away before the visit, a work bag or a box shifted to another room can reintroduce bugs once opened. Wash and tumble dry what you can, and open stored bags on a hard floor in good light, where anything crawling out will be obvious.
Bugs coming from next door
In blocks of flats and shared houses, a neighbouring home may still have bed bugs. Sightings along a party wall, near pipes or around sockets are worth writing down. Can bed bugs spread between flats explains the routes and who to tell. Tenants in shared houses and HMOs, in Kilburn and elsewhere, should let the landlord know if other rooms have not been checked.
Things that can make it worse
- Spraying shop-bought insecticide or setting off a fogger or bug bomb, which is not recommended and can scatter them
- Moving to sleep in a different room
- Carrying furniture out through the home without wrapping it
- Bringing in second-hand furniture before the problem is over
- Putting a new mattress on a frame that still has bugs in it
Keep a simple record
Write down the date, the room and exactly where you saw each bug, spot or bite, and take photos with something for scale. Keep any bug you catch stuck to clear tape. A short log makes it far easier to judge whether things are improving and to decide on the next step.
Is it definitely a bed bug?
Now and then, what turns up after a visit is not a bed bug at all. Carpet beetle larvae, booklice and small spiders are found in bedrooms too, and fleas bite as well. Compare anything you catch with bed bugs or fleas and the first signs of bed bugs before assuming the worst. Small, bristly larvae near carpet edges are more likely to be carpet beetles; see carpet beetle control.
Bites after treatment
Marks can take several days to show and longer to fade, so new-looking bites soon after a visit may date from before it. Bites are an unreliable sign at the best of times. For irritation or signs of infection, speak to a pharmacist or GP.
When to get back in touch
If signs are increasing rather than tailing off, or you keep finding live adults in the same places, contact us with your notes and photos. Timescales depend on the property and the infestation, and how long bed bug treatment takes explains what affects them. If rooms that were not part of the original booking turn out to be affected, use the booking form and mention your earlier visit. The published price for bed bug control in Brent is £220 for the first room and £120 for each additional room.
