Get rid of bed bugs and avoid a bad reaction to bites by following THESE simple steps – Express.co.uk

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Bed bugs are usually found in the crevices and joints of your mattress and feed on human blood.

While they are not dangerous and do not spread diseases they can be stressful to live with some people can experience reactions to their bites.

They can cause itchy red bumps on the skin and in more severe cases may cause a rash or fluid-filled blisters.

But how can you identify an infestation and what do they look like?

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Bedbugs are usually found in the crevices and joints of your mattress and feed on human blood.

Adult bed bugs have small, flat, oval-shaped bodies and are wingless.

Their colour can vary between dark yellow, red or brown and are up to 5mm long.

To spot the bugs or their tiny white eggs, it is best to use a bright torch to check your mattress.

Bites on your skin, tiny black spots on your mattress and blood spots on your sheets from accidentally squashing them can be indications of an infestation.

So how do you get rid of bedbugs and how can you prevent an infestation?

The NHS suggests contacting your local council or a pest control firm thats a member of the British Pest Control Association or National Pest Technicians Association.

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It writes on its website: A technician will carry out an inspection to confirm an infestation. They can then use special treatments such as insecticide, a steamer or rapid freeze system to get rid of the bugs.

It also suggests a number of steps you may be asked to carry out to help the problem.

The first, is to wash infested clothes or bed linen at 60C or put them in a dryer on a hot setting for 30 minutes.

Next, use a vacuum cleaner with a hose to suck up any bugs you can see. Proceed to dispose of the contents of the vacuum cleaner in a sealed bag.

Consider throwing away any mattress or furniture thats heavily infested.

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Use plastic mattress covers that encase the entire mattress - this will stop any bed bugs getting in or out.

If youre looking to prevent bed bug infestations, make sure to inspect your mattress and bed regularly for signs of an infestation and get professional advice if you think you have bed bugs.

Avoid buying second-hand mattresses and carefully inspect second-hand furniture before bringing it in your home.

Finally, keep your bedroom tidy and remove clutter.

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Get rid of bed bugs and avoid a bad reaction to bites by following THESE simple steps - Express.co.uk