Why Cockroaches Take Over Melbourne Kitchens Every Summer
Warm nights, a good water source and one hidden egg case are all it takes. Here is what actually drives a summer cockroach problem — and the three things that stop it.
Read articleFirst, confirm it
Bites alone are not proof — people react very differently and plenty of bites get blamed on bed bugs incorrectly. Look for physical evidence: small dark spots along mattress seams and piping, shed skins in the bed frame joints, or live insects roughly the size of an apple seed in the seams, slats and screw holes of the bed base. Check the bedhead and the joins of any bedside furniture too.
Do not move rooms
This is the single most common mistake. Sleeping on the couch or in a spare room spreads the infestation into a second room, because bed bugs follow the carbon dioxide of a sleeping person. Stay where you are until the room is treated — it keeps the problem contained.
Do not throw out the mattress
Mattresses and bases can nearly always be treated. Dragging an infested mattress through the house and down the hallway spreads eggs and insects along the way, and a replacement bed put into an untreated room simply becomes infested too.
What to do instead
- Strip the bed and wash all bedding on the hottest cycle the fabric allows, then dry on high heat. Heat is what kills them, not detergent.
- Bag anything laundered and keep it sealed until after the treatment.
- Vacuum the mattress seams, bed base, carpet edges and skirting, then immediately empty the vacuum into a sealed bag in an outside bin.
- Pull the bed slightly away from the wall and keep bedding off the floor.
- Take a clear photo of anything you find — it helps confirm identification before we arrive.
Then book a professional treatment
Bed bugs are the pest where DIY very rarely succeeds. They hide in places a spray cannot reach, and retail products often push them deeper into the structure and into adjoining rooms. A professional treatment covers every harbourage point in the room and includes a follow up visit around 10 to 14 days later to catch newly hatched nymphs — that second visit is what finishes the job.
Need this dealt with rather than done yourself? Call Pest Control Unit on 0415 589 338 for a free, no obligation quote anywhere in metropolitan Melbourne.