How to Identify, Treat and Prevent Bed Bugs in Sydney: A Guide from So Pest Off

To check for bed bugs, look at the mattress seams, the bed frame and the headboard for small blood stains, dark spots of droppings, pale shed skins and the bugs themselves. Itchy bites that appear overnight are often the first thing people notice. We treat bed bugs in homes, units and rentals across the Hills District and greater Sydney, and this guide covers what to look for, how an infestation grows and what our treatment involves.

• Signs to look for: blood stains, dark droppings, shed skins, live bugs and a sweet musty smell in bad cases.
• Health risk: NSW Health says bed bugs are not known to spread disease, but the bites itch and cost people sleep.
• Before you call: do not spray, strip the bed or move belongings out of the room.

How Do You Check for Bed Bugs in Your Home?

Start with the bed, because bed bugs live close to where people sleep. The Better Health Channel, the Victorian Government health website, lists four signs to look for: the bugs themselves, small bloodstains from crushed bugs on sheets or mattresses, rusty or dark spots of droppings on mattresses, bedding or walls, and a sweet, musty odour when the infestation is severe.

Pull back the sheets and run a torch along the mattress piping, the corners and the tags. Then check the joins of the bed frame, behind the headboard and along the skirting boards closest to the bed. Pale, empty casings are shed skins left behind as the bugs grow. If that is mainly what you are finding, our guide on dead bed bug shells explains what they tell you about the infestation.

What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?

An adult bed bug is about the size of an apple seed, according to the Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association (AEPMA). Adults are flat, wingless and reddish brown. The young bugs, called nymphs, are smaller and paler, and the eggs are translucent white and about 1 mm long, so they are easy to miss in the seams of a mattress.

If you are not sure what you have found, take a clear photo or keep the insect in a sealed bag or jar and show it to us at the inspection.

Where Do Bed Bugs Hide in a Sydney Home?

Bed bugs spend most of their life hidden in cracks and crevices, and AEPMA says they usually come out between midnight and five in the morning to feed while people are in a deep sleep. They feed every three to seven days, so for most of the week the bugs are tucked away digesting their last meal and you will not see them.

In the homes we treat, the usual hiding places are:

• Mattress seams and tufts
• Bed frames and the back of the headboard
• Furniture joints and clothing stored near the bed
• Gaps along skirting boards and carpet edges
• Lounges, cushions and curtains
• Suitcases, backpacks and clothing

Bed bugs do not fly or jump. They travel with people, hidden in luggage, clothing and used furniture, which is why short term rentals, holiday accommodation and properties with a regular change of tenants are a common starting point.

How Fast Does a Bed Bug Infestation Grow?

A bed bug infestation grows quickly once it is established. AEPMA reports that a female lays between one and seven eggs a day for up to ten days after each blood meal, and that a bed bug can develop from egg to adult in as little as 37 days. At an average temperature of 22°C, adults typically live for about five months.

Each young bed bug needs a blood meal before it can grow into the next stage, and it passes through five stages before it becomes an adult. That is why the numbers build up quickly, and why it pays to book an inspection as soon as you see the first signs.

Are Bed Bug Bites Dangerous?

NSW Health says bed bugs are not considered a public health hazard and are not known to spread disease. The bites can still cause a lot of itching and lost sleep, and heavy scratching can sometimes lead to a skin infection. The Better Health Channel describes bites as large weals that settle into a red mark and fade over a few days, sometimes with swelling or blisters.

To ease the itch, the Better Health Channel suggests trying not to scratch, using calamine lotion or an anaesthetic cream, washing the bites with antiseptic soap and applying an ice pack. See your doctor if a bite becomes infected.

Why Don’t DIY Bed Bug Sprays Work?

Most bed bugs in Australia are resistant to the commonly used pyrethroid insecticides, according to AEPMA, which makes them hard to control. The bugs also spend most of their time hidden in cracks, so they often never touch a fresh spray. The Better Health Channel notes that good hygiene and housekeeping alone are unlikely to control an infestation.

Spraying the bed yourself can also scatter the bugs into other rooms and make a professional treatment less effective. If you think you have bed bugs, do not spray, do not strip the bed or wash the linen yet, and keep the bedroom door shut so nobody carries items out of the room. Open the windows to air the room and call us to book an inspection.

What Happens During a Bed Bug Treatment With So Pest Off?

Our bed bug treatment covers every room in the home, not just the bedroom where you found the bugs, because bed bugs also hide in lounges, curtains and carpets. AEPMA says bed bug control needs a combination of chemical and non chemical methods together with good hygiene, so the treatment involves steps for us and a few steps for you.

Inspecting the Bed Bug Infestation

We start by inspecting the bedrooms and living areas to see where the bed bugs are active and how far the infestation has spread. We then explain the treatment we recommend and what you need to do before and after it.

Treating Beds, Furniture and Skirting Boards

Our technicians treat the beds, mattresses, skirting boards, furniture and clothing in every room. After treatment we seal items such as sheets and clothes in bags to contain the product, and we close off each room. Please stay out of the treated rooms for six to eight hours, or overnight for the best result.

Cleaning After a Bed Bug Treatment

When it is safe to go back in, wear gloves to open the sealed bags, wash the contents on a hot cycle and dry them in a dryer on high heat. Do not vacuum for at least 10 days, because vacuuming lifts the product before it has finished working. The Better Health Channel gives the same advice about avoiding vacuuming straight after treatment. After two weeks, we recommend a professional carpet or upholstery clean to remove dead bugs and leftover product.

It is normal to keep finding dead bed bugs for up to six weeks after the treatment. That is a sign that the treatment is still working on bugs that come out of hiding.

Follow Up Pest Treatment

We recommend a general pest control treatment six to eight weeks after the first visit to catch any surviving bed bugs and to protect the home from another infestation. You can see current prices on our pricing page.

How to Stop Bed Bugs Coming Back

Bed bugs usually arrive in luggage, clothing or used furniture, so these habits lower the risk of bringing them home:

• Keep suitcases off the bed and away from curtains when you travel, and use a luggage rack or a hard floor.
• Wash and dry your clothes on the hottest setting when you get home.
• Check used furniture and mattresses carefully before you bring them inside.
• Use a fitted mattress protector and change your sheets regularly.
• Keep curtains off the floor and reduce clutter around the bed, so there are fewer places for bed bugs to hide.

Licensed Bed Bug Pest Control in NSW

In NSW, anyone who uses pesticides to control pests as a service needs a pest management technician licence, issued by the NSW Environment Protection Authority under the Pesticides Act 1999 and the Pesticides Regulation 2017. Professional bed bug work in Australia is also guided by the Code of Practice for the Control of Bed Bug Infestations in Australia, developed at the Department of Medical Entomology at Westmead Hospital with AEPMA, which NSW Health lists as a resource.

So Pest Off’s technicians are licensed, and the bed bug treatment above is the process we follow. If you have found bites, stains or live bugs, tell us what you have noticed and in which rooms, and we will explain the inspection and the treatment options. You can read more about our bed bug pest control in Sydney.

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