Bedbug Control Chalk Farm

Why Every Flat Is Included

Flats in a block are joined by more than a front door. Pipes, cables, risers and the gaps along floors and ceilings connect one home to the next, and bedbugs use those routes. Treating only the flats that have reported them leaves the quiet ones in between, where a few can sit and return later.

So a clean flat is still worth looking at, and a flat with a mild problem that nobody reported is exactly what a block programme is meant to find. Saying yes to the visit is the single biggest thing a Chalk Farm resident can do to help it work.

Getting Your Flat Ready

The landlord's contractor will give you their own instructions, and those are the ones to follow. They usually look something like this:

1. Strip the beds and hot-wash and dry the bedding, then keep it bagged until the visit is over.
2. Clear the floor along the walls in the bedrooms and living room so the skirtings can be reached.
3. Empty the space under beds and bag what came out, leaving the bags in the same room.
4. Leave furniture in place and do not put mattresses or sofas out on the landing or by the bins.
5. Keep pets and people out of the rooms for as long as you are told, and do not go back in until the treated surfaces are dry.

Most block programmes use a residual insecticide, which usually means a return visit about 10–14 days later because the first one does not reliably reach eggs. How a course of chemical treatment runs is on our Camden chemical page.

If You Cannot Manage the Preparation

Clearing floors and washing every sheet is hard work if you live alone, are older, are unwell or have a disability. Tell the housing officer or the contact on the letter as early as you can and ask what help is available. It is better to say so than to cancel the appointment, because a missed flat can undo the work done next door.

If you work shifts or are away on the date, ask for another slot rather than leaving it. Keep a copy of the letter and a note of any dates you have agreed, and report any new signs between visits in writing.

Where We Fit In

We are not the landlord's contractor in a block programme. If the landlord is treating your flat, let them. Bringing in a second company at the same time can confuse what has been done where. You can ring us for advice about what you are seeing, or for an inspection from £120 if you want to know whether it is bedbugs before reporting it.

If the programme has finished and your flat in Chalk Farm still has signs, report it to the landlord in writing first. Who arranges and pays for further treatment depends on your tenancy and the cause, and we are not legal advisers. If you then choose private treatment, starting from £220, tell us the dates of the landlord's visits so we can plan around what has already been used. The London guide on why bedbugs reappear after treatment covers the usual reasons. For the wider borough, see the Camden page.

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