Bed bug control in Johannesburg South

Bed bug control in Johannesburg South needs a careful inspection, a targeted treatment of beds, furniture and the cracks around them, and a follow-up visit to catch the eggs that hatch afterwards. Because they spread easily between flats and rented rooms, we also help you find where they came from.

How bed bugs end up in southern homes

Bed bugs are hitchhikers. They don't fly or jump, and they don't come from the garden. They arrive in luggage, second-hand furniture, a mattress picked up cheaply, a bag of clothes from a relative, or on someone who has slept in an infested room. In the south, we see a lot of bed bug work in blocks of flats, in houses divided into rented rooms, in backyard rooms, and in guesthouses and lodges that have a steady turnover of visitors.

Older blocks in areas like Rosettenville, Turffontein and Forest Hill add another problem: bed bugs can move between units through gaps around pipes, plug points and skirting boards. A tenant who treats one flat can still be re-infested from next door, which is why, where possible, we look at adjoining units too.

How to tell it's bed bugs

• Bites in a line or small cluster, often on arms, neck, shoulders and legs, that appear overnight
• Small rusty or dark spots on sheets, mattress seams and the edge of the base
• Tiny pale eggs and shed skins in seams, folds and the joints of the bed frame
• Flat, oval, reddish-brown insects about the size of an apple seed, hiding in seams, headboards and cracks
• A sweetish, musty smell in a room with a heavy infestation

Bites alone don't prove bed bugs; fleas, mosquitoes and bird mites all bite at night too. If you're not sure, send us a photo of the insect or the spots on the mattress.

Our treatment, step by step

1. Inspection. We check mattresses, bases, headboards, bedside tables, couches, curtains, skirting boards, plug points and cracks in the walls near where people sleep. Bed bugs stay close to their host, so the bedroom is the focus, but we check lounges too.
2. Preparation. We give you a list beforehand: wash bedding and clothes from the room on a hot cycle, bag items that can't be washed, and pull beds away from the wall.
3. Treatment. We treat the bed, furniture joints, cracks, crevices and skirting with products registered for bed bugs, working carefully into the places they hide.
4. Follow-up. Bed bug eggs survive the first treatment, so we come back after about two weeks to treat the young bugs that hatch, before they can lay more eggs.

You don't need to move out for a normal bed bug treatment. Keep children and pets out of treated rooms until surfaces are dry.

Landlords, guesthouses and accommodation

For landlords with rented rooms or flats, the quickest fix is to treat all affected units at the same time and to check neighbouring rooms. Guesthouses and lodges can be put on a scheduled inspection, which catches an infestation from a guest's luggage before it spreads to other rooms. We keep a record of each visit.

The mistake that spreads bed bugs

Moving to the couch or another bedroom. The bugs follow, and suddenly you have two infested rooms. The other mistake is throwing out the mattress straight away and carrying it through the house: it scatters bugs and eggs along the way, and the new mattress gets infested from the bed frame and walls. Wait until we've treated, and if anything must go, wrap it in plastic first.

A tip for southern households

If you buy second-hand furniture or a mattress, or take in bedding from someone else, inspect the seams and joints in daylight before it comes inside. Even better, leave it in the sun on a hot Highveld afternoon and check it again. It takes ten minutes and saves weeks of trouble.

What bed bug treatment costs, and why

The cost depends on how many rooms and beds are affected, how much furniture needs treating, whether adjoining units need attention, and whether more than one follow-up is required. A single bedroom caught early is a much smaller job than a whole house or several flats. Our prices for pest control in Johannesburg show where bed bug treatments start. Sprays and powders from the shop rarely work on bed bugs, because they don't reach the eggs or the hiding places, so this is one pest where professional treatment usually saves money.

For a step-by-step look at what's involved, read how to get rid of bed bugs. Fleas cause similar bites, so if you have pets, see flea treatments in the south too. We also cover pest control in Forest Hill, the wider southern suburbs, bed bug treatment in Soweto and bed bug control across Johannesburg.

Combat Pest Control is SAPCA registered and registered with the Department of Agriculture under Act 36. Owner Jason van Heerden has treated bed bugs for 25 years, we offer service within 24 hours, and if they return within 3 months of treatment we come back. Call 084 200 2700, or WhatsApp us a photo of the mattress seam.