Bed Bugs in the UAE: How to Spot, Treat and Prevent Them

Bed bugs hide in the tiniest seams and come out at night to feed, so you'll often see the signs before the bugs. Look for small itchy bites in a line or cluster on skin exposed while sleeping; tiny dark spots (droppings) on the mattress seams, sheets or bed frame; pale shed skins; and, in heavier cases, a faint sweetish odour.

Check the mattress piping, bed frame joints, headboard, and behind the skirting near the bed. A torch and a slow, careful look go a long way — the adults are about the size of an apple seed.

Bed bugs are notoriously hard to eliminate at home. They hide in places sprays can't reach, their eggs resist many products, and survivors quickly rebuild the population. Throwing out a mattress often just spreads them to a new room as you carry them through the home.

Professional treatment runs a thorough room-by-room protocol targeting adults, nymphs and eggs — combining residual treatment with heat where suitable to reach hidden harbourage. We also treat adjoining rooms to stop migration, and confirm clearance at a follow-up visit.

Prevention is mostly about vigilance after travel and when bringing furniture home. When you return from a trip, inspect and wash luggage contents on high heat and keep suitcases off the bed. Be cautious with second-hand mattresses, sofas and beds — inspect them carefully before bringing them in.

In hotels and shared accommodation, early reporting and treating adjoining rooms is essential, because a single untreated room re-seeds the rest. If you've had bed bugs before, a follow-up inspection gives peace of mind that they haven't returned.