Fleas, Mites or Bedbugs?
In a house full of animals, the first question is whether it is bedbugs at all. Fleas live on the animal and jump; bedbugs do not live on pets, do not jump, and shelter in beds, furniture and cracks, coming out to feed mostly on people. Spots of dark staining along seams and pale shed skins point towards bedbugs. The London guide on bedbugs or something else covers the common confusions.
Dog Beds, Crates and Blankets
A dog bed next to your own bed, or a pile of blankets in a crate, is a fabric hiding place like any other. Bedbugs may shelter in it because it is near where you sleep. Wash covers and blankets hot and tumble dry them. Beds that cannot be washed can be bagged and left in the room for treatment rather than thrown out.
Clients’ animals should go home with their own bedding washed, and their leads and harnesses kept away from beds and sofas in your house until the treatment is done.
Other People's Homes
Visiting houses every day means your bag, coat and car go in and out of many front doors. Keep your kit bag off beds and sofas, both yours and theirs, and keep it closed. Whether you tell clients is your call, and we are not legal advisers, but a short pause to animals staying overnight until the house is treated is a sensible step for a Chiswick business built on trust.
Your car is worth a thought too. A boot lined with old blankets for muddy dogs is fine for fleas and dirt, but if those blankets have been on your sofa or bed at home, wash and dry them before they go back in. A plastic boot liner that wipes clean is easier to keep an eye on.
Treatment With Animals in the House
Pets, including any you are minding, must be out of the house on a heat treatment day, along with heat-sensitive items such as plants, aerosols and candles. It is usually one visit and deals with eggs, which suits large Victorian and Edwardian houses in Chiswick where several rooms need doing at once. With chemical treatment, animals stay out of treated rooms until they are dry and you follow the instructions given on the day; it costs less but takes a course of visits. The Hounslow borough page has more on bedbugs carried in with work bags and kit.
Bedbug Control Chiswick — Questions
Can bedbugs live on my dog?
No. They do not live on animals the way fleas do. They may bite pets occasionally, but they shelter in furniture and bedding and mainly feed on people.
Could I have picked them up at a client's house?
It is possible, but so is a train seat, a hotel or a visitor. Working out where they came from rarely changes what needs doing next.
Where do the animals go on treatment day?
Out of the house for a heat treatment, with a friend, the owner or a kennel. For chemical treatment they stay out of treated rooms until they are dry.
Should I stop pet sitting until it is sorted?
Pausing overnight stays until treatment is done is sensible. Walks from the owner's door carry far less risk, as long as your bag stays off their furniture.
Do I need to throw out the dog beds?
Not before we have looked. Wash what can be washed hot and dried, and bag the rest in the room so it can be treated.
How much is treatment for a house in Chiswick?
From £220 for a treatment, depending on how many rooms need doing and on heat or chemical. We confirm the figure on the phone.
Elsewhere in Hounslow
The other areas in the borough, each written around a different situation.
Bedbug Advice for Chiswick
Picked for this page: the guides that go further on what matters for Chiswick.
Bedbugs, or Something Else?
A walkthrough you can do tonight with a torch, and what to do with what you find.
Read more →
Can Bedbugs Live in the Garden?
Why they do not live in lawns or hedges, when a shed or garden room matters, and what else bites.
Read more →
Can Bedbugs Survive a Washing Machine?
What the wash does and does not do, why the dryer counts for more, and what to do with delicates.
Read more →
Preparing Your Home for Heat Treatment
What to do the week before, the night before and the morning of. A plan, not a list.
Read more →Bedbug Treatments in Hounslow
Every service has its own page for Hounslow: heat, chemical, hotels, commercial premises and inspections.
Covering Chiswick
Tell Us About the Property
Tell us how many rooms show signs and whether any animals are staying with you at the moment.