What do bedbugs look like?

A bedbug is a brownish, oval-shaped insect measuring 5 to 6 mm in length. The back and stomach are flat which allows them to edge their way very easily into mattress seams, gaps in the floor and in the various hidden recesses of a house.  

What is a bedbug's life cycle?

 - The eggs are white, measure an average of one millimetre and hatch after 10 to14 days. Eggs are mainly found in gaps, crevices, etc.

 - The young are the same shape as the adult insects but a few millimetres smaller. The transition from egg to young takes a month.

 - When fully grown, bedbugs have an average life expectancy of 5 months if they feed regularly. With nothing to eat, an adult can survive for a year in a state of sleep.

Can bedbug bites endanger our health? 

It has not been proven that bedbug bites can carry illnesses or viruses. However, the seriousness of the reaction to a bedbug bite varies from person to person.  

How do they get into our homes?

The vast majority of cases show that individuals carry bedbugs to their own home from somewhere infected, especially in their luggage but also in their clothing, bedclothes, etc.  

How to protect oneself?

- Keep an eye on the appearance of any suspect bite.
- Avoid taking home any hired items without first inspecting and cleaning them meticulously.
- Keep your home clean and free of unwanted items.
- Vacuum clean regularly.  

How to detect them?

Bedbugs are hard to see because they flee natural and artificial light.
Ask yourself questions when you experience :
- Itching in the morning.
- Bites on the skin that are most often in a straight line.
- Signs of their presence, small black spots from 1 to 3 mm in length, on the seams of mattresses and small blood spots on sheets, caused by crushing bedbugs while you were sleep.  

What to do in the event of contamination?

Contact us! We'll advise you of the procedure to follow. We can also give you details of bedbug detection by sniffer dog.