Bedbug Control West Wickham

Bites on a Baby

Small red marks on a baby can be many things, and bedbug bites are only one of them. If a baby has a skin reaction that worries you, a pharmacist or GP is the right first call. Ring 999 for any sign of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling of the face or difficulty breathing.

What confirms bedbugs is finding them or their marks, so the next step is a careful look at the cot and the room.

Where to Look in a Nursery

• The cot mattress: along the edge binding and underneath, where it meets the base.
• The cot frame: slat joints, the holes where the sides bolt together and the underside of the base.
• Bumpers, fitted sheets and any fabric that stays in the cot.
• The changing unit, nursing chair and any cushions, especially where an adult sits for night feeds.
• The parents' bed if the baby sleeps there some of the time.

Look for tiny dark spots, pale shed skins and the bugs themselves. Bedbugs or something else helps with the lookalikes.

Preparing a Nursery for Treatment

1. Hot-wash all cot bedding, sleeping bags, muslins and soft toys that can take it, then keep them sealed in a clean bag until the treatment is finished.
2. Clear the floor, including toy boxes and baskets, so skirtings can be reached.
3. Leave the cot and furniture where they stand. Moving the cot into your room can carry bedbugs with it, so ask us before you move anything.
4. For heat, take out creams, medicines, baby monitors and other electronics we flag, aerosols and plants.

The heat preparation guide lists the rest.

Heat or Chemical With a Baby in the House

Heat raises the room to a temperature bedbugs cannot survive and kills eggs as well, usually in one visit, and it leaves nothing in the room afterwards. Everyone is out while it runs, the baby included, and you go back once it has cooled.

Chemical treatment leaves a residual product in seams, frames and skirtings, and it takes two or sometimes three visits. We tell you how long to keep the room empty and which surfaces the product goes on. Whichever route you choose, follow the instructions we give on the day. Many parents choose heat for a nursery because nothing is left behind, and it costs more for the same reason it works in one go.

Treatments start from £220. If you are not sure, compare the two treatments first.

Take a moment afterwards to check the rest of the house. A nursery rarely has bedbugs on its own; the parents' bed and the chair used for night feeds are the usual companions. If the problem has reached several rooms, the page on treating a whole house helps with the room count.

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