Bedbugs are small insects that often live on furniture or bedding. Their bites can be itchy, but do not usually cause other health problems. Bedbugs can hide in many places, including on bed frames, mattresses, clothing, furniture, behind pictures and under loose wallpaper. Signs of bedbugs include: On white skin, bedbug bites usually look red. On black or brown skin, they may look purple and may be harder to see. Some people have a reaction to the bites. They can be very itchy and there may be painful swelling. A severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) is also possible but rare. How you can treat bedbug bitesBedbug bites usually clear up on their own in a week or so. Things you can do include:
A pharmacist can help with bedbug bitesYou can ask a pharmacist about:
Find a pharmacy Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
You may have an infection and need treatment with antibiotics. How to get rid of bedbugsIf you think you have bedbugs, you should contact your local council or pest control service. It's very difficult to get rid of bedbugs yourself because they can be hard to find and may be resistant to some insecticides. There are some things you can try yourself, but these are unlikely to get rid of bedbugs completely. Do
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Information: Find your local councilYou can find your local council on GOV.UK. Page last reviewed: 02 August 2022 Is it impossible to get rid of bed bugs on your own?Bed bugs are hard to control, but you can do it! Using insecticides alone to control bed bugs is not the best solution. Cleaning, getting rid of clutter and taking a few other steps are just as important as applying insecticide when you're trying to control bed bugs.
How do I get rid of bed bugs myself?Kill the Bed Bugs. Heat treatment: You can use a clothes dryer on high heat. ... . Cold treatment may work, but can only be successful in the home environment if the freezer is set to 0o F. ... . Steam cleaners (wet or dry) can get into cracks and fabrics to treat carpets, baseboards, bed frames, and other furniture.. How long does it take to get rid of bed bugs on your own?Get rid of bed bugs naturally with heat or cold
Alternately, put affected items in a freezer that is at least 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave them there for four days to make sure all bed bugs are dead.
Can you ever totally get rid of bed bugs?It can be difficult to eliminate bed bugs, but it's not impossible. Don't throw out all of your things because most of them can be treated and saved. Throwing stuff out is expensive, may spread the bed bugs to other people's homes and could cause more stress.
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