Nobody wants to go into their bedroom one evening and come across a bed bug infestation, but they're unfortunately fairly common in the UK.
The tiny insects that tend to live in bedding and other furniture often aren't dangerous, but their bites can be itchy and hugely annoying.
Infestations can be really difficult to get rid of, so to help people solve the problem before it begins, one pest expert has outlined a few of the early warning signs that you might have bed bugs before the issue develops too much.
The Mirror reports that Adam Juson, co-founder of commercial pest control company Merlin Environmental, says that the miniscule bugs can make their homes within our wallpaper, behind pictures and even on our clothes.
He warned: "Night after night they will come out of hiding to bite and drink the blood of their human victims."
There's one common sign of bedbug that you should keep an eye out for, so you know when to start dealing with the issue.
Adam said: "The most common sign of bedbugs is bites on your skin, especially after sleeping but you may also recognise blood speckles on your bedding from the bites. Bed bug poop can also appear on bedding and furniture and looks like small brown spots."
Because they can live for a year without a food source, it makes them "very hard to starve to death," Adam explained. He continued: "These creatures typically stay out of the way during daylight hours, and only come out to feed when people are asleep. Bed bugs detect carbon dioxide from our breathing, which tells them we are resting nearby."
If you suspect you have a bedbug infestation, it's vital that you work quickly to get rid of them - and the "most effective" way to do this is with heat.
Adam explained: "Temperatures more than 50 degrees Celsius for about 90 minutes will get rid of any bed bug problem. If you think you have bed bugs, you can wash your bedding and clothing on a hot wash and then tumble dry on a very hot setting.
"However, since the bedbug may not be on your bedding, but could be hiding anywhere in the room, it's best to heat the whole room up and make it too toasty for comfort."
He continued: "Bed bugs can be difficult to get rid of as they are hard to find and can be resistant to certain insecticides. That's why enlisting the help of a professional pest control company is the most reliable solution for bed bugs.
"Here at Merlin Environmental we have a bed bug hunting sniffer dogs that can pinpoint exactly where the bedbugs are, so we can treat them with heat. This is a much faster, more reliable way of finding bed bugs than relying on human sight."
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