Bed bugs are back — and not just in headlines. Since the Paris outbreak made global news in late 2023, bed bug cases across the UK have been rising steadily. Pest controllers report increased callouts year on year, and the trend shows no sign of slowing down in 2026. Here is what is driving the surge and what you can do about it.
Why Are Bed Bug Cases Rising?
The resurgence of bed bugs is not random. Several converging factors explain why these pests are becoming more common:
- Increased travel: International travel is at record levels. Bed bugs are consummate hitchhikers — they travel in luggage, clothing, and personal belongings. Every hotel stay, Airbnb booking, and overnight train journey is a potential exposure.
- Pesticide resistance: Bed bugs have developed significant resistance to the pyrethroid insecticides that were once the standard treatment. Many populations now shrug off the same chemicals that would have killed them a decade ago. This makes treatment harder and recurrence more likely.
- The second-hand furniture boom: With the cost of living crisis, more people are buying second-hand mattresses, sofas, and bed frames from Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, and charity shops. This is one of the most common ways bed bugs enter homes.
- Underreporting and stigma: Many people are embarrassed to admit they have bed bugs, delaying treatment and allowing infestations to spread. Bed bugs do not discriminate by cleanliness — they are found in five-star hotels and student flats alike.
- Denser housing: Bed bugs spread between adjoining properties through wall cavities, shared pipes, and electrical conduits. Flats, HMOs, and terraced houses are all at higher risk.
How to Check for Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are small (4–5mm adult), flat, and reddish-brown. They hide in crevices during the day and feed on blood at night. The signs to look for:
- Bites: Red, itchy welts usually in lines or clusters on exposed skin (arms, shoulders, neck, face). Not everyone reacts to bites — up to 30% of people show no skin reaction at all.
- Blood spots: Tiny spots of blood on sheets from crushed bugs or bites that have bled.
- Dark spots: Small black or dark brown dots on the mattress, headboard, or bed frame. This is bed bug excrement (digested blood).
- Shed skins: Bed bugs moult five times before reaching adulthood. Look for pale, translucent exoskeletons in mattress seams and crevices.
- Live bugs: Check mattress seams, headboard joints, bed frame crevices, and behind bedside furniture. Use a torch and a credit card to probe into gaps.
- Musty smell: Heavy infestations produce a distinctive sweet, musty odour from the bugs' scent glands.
Checking Hotel Rooms and Airbnbs
Before unpacking in any accommodation, take two minutes to check:
- Pull back the sheets and examine mattress seams, particularly at corners and along piping
- Check the headboard — pull it away from the wall if possible and inspect the back
- Look behind bedside tables and along the bed frame
- Keep your suitcase on the luggage rack, not on the bed or floor
- If you find evidence, request a different room (not adjacent) or change accommodation entirely
Buying Second-Hand Furniture Safely
Second-hand furniture can be excellent value, but inspect it thoroughly before bringing it inside:
- Mattresses: Honestly, avoid buying second-hand mattresses entirely. The risk is simply too high and a bed bug infestation will cost far more to treat than a new mattress.
- Sofas and upholstered chairs: Inspect all seams, cushion zips, and the underside. Look for black spots, shed skins, or live bugs in crevices.
- Wooden bed frames: Check joints, screw holes, and any cracks in the wood. Bed bugs love wood joints.
- Inspect outdoors: Do your inspection in natural light, outside your home, before bringing the item in.
Our moving house pest checklist has more detail on pre-move inspections.
Treatment Options
If you have bed bugs, what works?
- Professional chemical treatment: The most common option. A pest controller applies residual insecticide to all harbourage areas, usually requiring 2–3 treatments over several weeks. Costs £200–£400 per room.
- Professional heat treatment: Using professional bed bug steamers, the room is heated to 50°C+ for several hours, killing all life stages including eggs. More expensive (£400–£800+) but can be done in a single visit. Highly effective.
- DIY sprays: Bed bug sprays can help for very early-stage, localised problems, but have a low success rate for established infestations.
- Mattress encasements: Bed bug mattress encasements trap bugs inside and prevent new bugs from colonising your mattress. An essential part of any treatment plan, not a treatment on their own.
For a complete treatment guide, see our how to get rid of bed bugs guide.
The Bottom Line
Bed bugs are a growing problem in the UK and are likely to remain so. The best defence is awareness: know what to look for, check accommodation when you travel, inspect second-hand furniture before buying, and act quickly if you find evidence. Early intervention is dramatically cheaper and easier than treating an established infestation.
Think you might have bed bugs? Find a specialist pest controller near you on PestPro Index. Early treatment makes a huge difference — do not wait.