Advice
Signs of Bed Bugs and What to Do Next
Bed bugs are small, flat insects that hide close to where people sleep, and knowing the early signs helps you act before they spread through a home.
Read the guide →We cover the EX7 postcode area, from the front to the hillside streets.
What we check in your home
In Dawlish homes we start where you sleep. Mattress seams and tags, the slats and joints of the bed, the headboard and its fixings, and the wall behind are all inspected with a bright light. We look for live bugs, shed skins, rusty smears and small dark spots, and we photograph or point out whatever we find.
Then we move outward: bedside furniture, curtains, skirting boards, the edge of the carpet and nearby upholstery. A few signs close to the bed suggest something recent, while marks spread around the room suggest it has been going on for some time. Either way, the facts shape the advice.
Guest rooms, rentals and shared homes
Dawlish has seasonal accommodation and rooms let out through the year. For anyone letting a bed, a quick check at each changeover is the simplest protection there is. If a complaint arrives, keep the room out of use, avoid moving the bedding about and arrange an inspection so you act on evidence rather than rumour.
Tenants who find signs should tell their landlord promptly and keep belongings tidy and bagged, since clutter gives bugs somewhere to hide. In a shared house, it helps to check neighbouring rooms too, as bed bugs can move along skirting boards and through gaps with very little help.
Habits that keep them out
Prevention in Dawlish is mostly about what comes through the door. Look over hotel beds on arrival, keep cases off the bed, put travel clothes straight into a hot wash and examine second-hand furniture before buying. A zipped mattress cover is a cheap extra help. If you want a second opinion later, we can recheck the room. We also cover Teignmouth and Exmouth.
Frequently asked questions
Are bed bugs more of a problem in seaside towns like Dawlish?
Not because of the sea itself. Towns with lots of visitors and short lets simply have more luggage moving around, which is how bed bugs spread. Careful checking of beds in rentals matters more than where the property is.
Will bed bugs bite pets?
They prefer people, but they can feed on pets if they have the chance. Bites on a dog or cat are more often fleas, so a proper inspection that checks both is worthwhile if the whole household is itchy.
Is it worth getting an inspection if I only have one or two bites?
Often yes, because early is when it is easiest to deal with. If you find no signs on the bed, we will say so, and you can stop worrying or look at other causes, such as fleas.