If you're waking up with itchy bites in rows on your arms, neck or back, and you've found small brown insects or dark spots in the seams of your mattress, it's very likely bed bugs. They don't mean a house is dirty. They mean someone brought them in, usually without knowing it. The good news is that bed bugs can be cleared with a careful, thorough treatment, but they almost never go away on their own.
How bed bugs reach Kariega homes
Kariega is a working town. The automotive plant and the many factories and suppliers around it bring in contractors, trainees and people working away from home, and many of them stay in rented rooms, flats and guesthouses. People also move within the town for work, and second-hand beds, couches and headboards change hands all the time.
Every one of those is a route for bed bugs. They hide in luggage, in the seams and buttons of mattresses, in the frames of second-hand furniture and in the folds of clothes. A single pregnant female in a suitcase is enough to start an infestation.
How to check for them
- Look at the mattress seams, piping and labels, especially at the head end
- Check the bed base, slats and the back of the headboard
- Look for small dark spots, like dots from a felt-tip pen; these are droppings
- Look for pale shed skins and tiny white eggs in cracks
- Check the seams of nearby couches and the edges of carpets
Adults are flat, reddish-brown and about the size of an apple seed. If you catch one, put it in a sealed bag or on clear tape and WhatsApp us a photo.
How we treat bed bugs
- Preparation. Before the visit we send you a short list: bag and hot-wash bedding and clothes from the affected rooms, clear the floor around the bed and empty bedside drawers.
- Inspection. We check beds, furniture, skirtings, plug points and picture frames in the affected rooms and the rooms next to them.
- Treatment. We treat the mattress seams, bed frames, furniture and cracks where bed bugs hide with products suited to bedrooms.
- Follow-up. Bed bug eggs survive the first treatment, so we return to treat the next hatch. This isn't optional; it's what clears the problem.
You don't need to move out. Allow the treated surfaces to dry before letting children or pets back on them.
Landlords, guesthouses and rented rooms
If you rent rooms out in Kariega, bed bugs spread between rooms through walls, shared furniture and people's bags. Treating only the room that complained usually means the problem shows up next door a few weeks later. It's better to inspect all rooms that share walls with the affected one and treat them together. Checking rooms between tenants, especially beds and headboards, picks up new arrivals early.
Why bed bugs are so hard to shift
Bed bugs can go a long time between meals, so an empty room doesn't starve them out quickly. They hide in cracks as thin as a credit card, come out only when you're asleep, and their eggs are glued into place where sprays don't reach. That combination is why thorough work and a second visit matter more with bed bugs than with almost any other pest.
A local tip
If you buy a second-hand bed or couch, check it outside in the sun before it comes into the house. Kariega's hot summer sunlight is useful here: bed bugs avoid light, and a careful look along the seams, under the base and in the joints of the frame takes ten minutes and can save months of trouble.
What people often get wrong
Throwing out the mattress and buying a new one. Bed bugs also live in the bed frame, skirtings, plug points and nearby furniture, so a new mattress in the same room is soon infested. Dragging the old one through the house can also spread them. Treat the room first; replacement is rarely necessary.
What does it cost?
It depends on how many rooms are affected, how much furniture is involved and how established the bed bugs are. A single bedroom caught early is quicker than a whole house or a block of rental rooms. Every bed bug job includes a follow-up, because that's what it takes. We'll quote after we've seen the rooms.
Not sure the bites are from bed bugs? Our page on what's biting you in Kariega helps narrow it down, and if the bites are around the ankles, read about fleas in Kariega homes. We also treat bed bugs across Port Elizabeth and bed bug problems in Despatch.
Call 087 012 5550 to book, or WhatsApp us a photo of the insect or the marks on your mattress.
Questions we get asked
Do bed bugs mean my house is dirty?
No. Bed bugs feed on blood, not dirt. They're carried in on luggage, clothes and furniture, and clean homes get them too.
Can I get rid of bed bugs myself?
It's very difficult. They hide in tiny cracks and their eggs resist most household products. A thorough professional treatment with a follow-up works far better.
Why do you need to come back?
Eggs laid before treatment hatch afterwards. The follow-up visit treats these young bed bugs before they can breed.
Should I sleep in another room?
It's better not to. Moving rooms can carry bed bugs with you and spread them. Keep sleeping in the same bed until it's treated.
How do I stop bringing bed bugs home from work trips?
Keep your bag off the bed in hotels and lodgings, check the mattress seams, and wash travel clothes in hot water when you get home.
Do you treat guesthouses and rental rooms?
Yes. We inspect and treat neighbouring rooms together, and can check rooms between tenants or guests.