Bed Bugs — Tiny Pests That Steal Your Sleep

Bed bugs are small, flat, reddish-brown insects that feed exclusively on human blood, typically at night while their host is sleeping. They are expert hitchhikers, travelling into homes on luggage, second-hand furniture, used mattresses, and clothing. Once established, they hide in the seams of mattresses, inside bed frames and headboards, behind wall sockets, inside sofa joints, and between folds of curtains — anywhere within 1.5 metres of where a person sleeps. Bed bug bites cause red, itchy welts that often appear in lines or clusters and can take several hours to manifest, making the source difficult to identify. They do not transmit diseases but cause significant psychological distress and sleep disruption. They are difficult to eliminate without professional treatment due to their hiding behaviour and egg resistance to standard insecticides.