I’ve been a publican for most of my working life, and if you’d told me 10 years ago that instead of being behind a bar I’d be sleeping with bedbugs for money, I’d have thrown you out for being drunk. Back in 2016, pub work began to dry up. I got chatting to David Cain, an acquaintance who runs the bedbug control company Bed Bugs Ltd, and told him I needed a job. He offered me work doing the deep cleans after they treated properties for infestations. Two weeks after the treatment, I would go in, strip the bed and do another clean to make sure there was nothing left. I’d clear up any treatment residue, give everything a good scrub, look for eggs, nymphs, and any signs of faecal or live samples. I was really grossed out.
Usually, if it’s a low-level infestation it can be eradicated in one session – if you catch it early it’s not as difficult to get rid of as people make out. We use a super-heated steam treatment and everything is completely green, which means you don’t have to leave your property or throw anything away.
