Bedbug Control Nunhead

Do Pets Carry Bedbugs?

Not in the way they carry fleas. Bedbugs do not live on animals. They live in beds, furniture and cracks near where people sleep, and they come out to feed. They will bite a pet if it is there, especially one that sleeps on your bed. A dog basket or cat bed next to yours can become somewhere they hide.

So the pet itself does not need treating for bedbugs. Its bedding does. If your pet seems unwell or its skin is sore, ring your vet.

Pets on a Heat Treatment Day

A heat treatment raises the room to a temperature bedbugs cannot survive, and holds it for most of a day. No animal can stay in that room, and pets should be out of the house while we are working.

• Dogs and cats go to a friend, family or a kennel for the day. Cats who hide should be shut in a carrier before we arrive, not found in a wardrobe at noon.
• Fish tanks in a treated room are a real problem, because the water heats with the room. Tell us early so we can plan around them.
• Birds, reptiles and small animals in cages or vivariums go out with the other pets.
• Pet food, medicines and flea treatments come out with the rest of the heat-sensitive list.

Pets and Chemical Treatment

A chemical treatment puts a residual insecticide into seams, frames, skirtings and edges. Pets should be out of the room while we work and kept out until the treated surfaces are dry. Follow the instructions we give you on the day, which will take account of the animals you have.

Chemical usually takes two visits, sometimes three, about 10–14 days apart, so this is something you do more than once. Fish tanks need particular care with insecticide. Mention them when you ring, not on the morning of the visit.

Their Beds, Blankets and Toys

Treat anything your pet sleeps on the way you treat your own bedding. Hot-wash what can be washed, bag it, and keep it bagged until the treatment is done. A pet bed that cannot be washed can often be treated in the room. Do not throw it out before treatment unless we advise it; carrying it through the house can spread them.

For the wider preparation, see how much to clear before treatment. If the bites on you are the worry, our bites guide covers when to see a GP.

Pet owners elsewhere in Southwark can use the same checklist; for flats, shares and estates see the Southwark page. From Nunhead, just ring and tell us what animals are in the house.

← Bedbug Control Southwark · Bedbug Control London