Bed bugs are taking over

Are they the same size as fleas ? Genuinely wondering.

That is what people did to fleas, a wet bar of soap

I have guests coming from london and had read about the bedbugs. Got the heebie jeebies and I will be going into their room as soon as they leave, to wash bedding, upend mattress vacuum etc. Luckily it is a new house with no gaps in skirtings and with quickstep flooring. I have removed the thin woollen rug to a different room

I shall air the duvet outside, bash it and then put it into a vac packed bag, to go into the freezer as soon as I have enough space

Good tip about the diatomaceous earth, I have a large tub in my outside shed

I went on a course 2002, staying in student accommodation and woke up on the first morning, covered in bites. Had no idea how bad bed bugs are and now feel extremely lucky to not have brought them home with me

I always remember a film where one of the characters threw the bed clothes back and quickly collected them up with a wet bar of soap😮😮🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳

I have heard they have been found in our local movie theatre, so haven't been for quite a while. Once there is an infestation they are very hard to get rid of.

When my son was living in Edmonton Alberta, they were quite common, especially in work camps. Then the workers bring them home when they are finished their rotation. My son would put his duffle-bag in the freezer after he had taken his clothes out and washed them.

How big are they? Can you actually see them or are they really tiny ? I have been in motels where I itched half the night but couldn’t see anything, maybe that’s what it was ?

Good old Diatomaceous Earth is effective (also on cat fleas) - as is soapy water, so I'd come home from any tube journeys and jump straight in the shower, clothes in soak - and if I ever spotted one, I'd be dusting the DE around too.

Many years ago, I got a cab home, went for a shower - and there was a nasty, flat, 8-shaped thing crawling on my t-shirt. It was trying to hide in the seam. (It must have been a bed bug.) I drowned it with shampoo and threw the t-shirt out.

I'm allergic to insect bites anyway, so I use the tropical strength insect repellent on my wrists, ankles, neck and waist - even to go in the garden or walk the dog. Hopefully, that protects me.

Ghastly! But what worries me is that they are jumping on people in the Underground (see article) and that they are completely resistant to pesticides. This means they are everywhere and cannot be killed.

So how did it come to this and where do we go from here?

My son moved into a flat, which had been occupied by some Middle Eastern lads who left it in a total mess it wasn't cleaned out properly, they left so much behind, tbh it was disgusting for a newish flat .
The Letting agent had to get a team in quick to sort while my son was in situ.
After a few short weeks he noticed he was getting these spots? No idea why?

He went to the USA for 3 weeks, we picked him up from Heathrow. Aftet we left him we got a phone call from him, as he went to get into bed for a few hours, he saw it crawling with these little monsters. We told him to bin everything on his bed. Last thing he needed after a long haul flight.
We shot off to a local big Supermarket to buy him new pillows, quite and new bed linen. Even picked up a new vacuum cleaner for him.
Needless to say, he got onto the letting agency to complain as it wasn't up to standard when he moved in, as they were already aware.

They arrived next day to fumigate the flat and his bed (which was newish, it was ordered and used for a few months at ours, didn't come from ours ) his new sofa etc he did get some compensation for the agency, plus a return fumigation.
But absolutely disgusting little monsters, I will never forget what they looked like..

Regularly wash bedding etc, at 60 degrees C.
Vacuum regularly
If you think they are in the house, put clothing, soft toys etc. in a plastic bag in the freezer for 4 days, then wash at 60degC.