Bed bug treatment
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are a travelling pest whose callouts grew 71% in Spain in 2023, with Catalonia among the most affected regions. At ERRADICAT we fight them in Barcelona and Girona with a real, honest protocol: textiles washed above 60°C, fumigation with a spraying machine and a follow-up gas shock, with authorised biocides and a clear prevention plan. We explain transparently how to stop them coming back and what to expect from the treatment. No-obligation inspection and quote.
- Washing above 60°C, fumigation and a gas shock
- Authorised biocides and technicians with the applicator licence
- Total honesty and a clear prevention plan
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We serve the provinces of Barcelona and Girona.
+71%
growth in bed bug callouts in Spain in 2023, with Catalonia among the most affected regions
Source: Anticimex España
65%
of people do not react to the bites, which delays detection
Source: Anticimex España
4-5 mm
the size of an adult bed bug; eggs and nymphs hide in cracks barely 1 mm wide
Source: Anticimex España / Rioja Salud
Hundreds
of eggs a single female lays over her lifetime, at several eggs a day
Source: Anticimex España
What are bed bugs and why act as soon as possible?
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are blood-feeding insects of 4-5 mm that hide in mattress seams, divan bases and cracks close to the bed. Their control has become a priority because service callouts in Spain grew 71% between January and September 2023 compared with the same period the year before, with Catalonia among the most affected regions. At ERRADICAT we treat them in Barcelona and Girona with a real, direct and honest protocol, with no promises we cannot keep.
Acting early pays: one female lays hundreds of eggs over her lifetime, and up to 65% of people do not react to the bites, which delays detection and lets the infestation grow. On top of that, bed bugs have developed resistance to pyrethroids, the most common household insecticides, so supermarket sprays are useless and counterproductive: they scatter the pest instead of eliminating it. At the slightest suspicion, the best move is a professional inspection.
Bed bugs or cockroaches?
They are not the same. The bed bug is a flat insect of 4-5 mm that feeds on blood and hides in mattress seams and cracks by the bed, leaving bites in a line and dark spots. If what you see are fast insects fleeing the light in the kitchen and bathroom, they are probably cockroaches, with a different treatment.
See the cockroach treatment →Prevention against a travelling pest
Bed bugs travel in luggage, in second-hand furniture and from neighbouring flats, with no relation to hygiene. To stop them coming back: inspect your luggage when you return from a trip, wash clothes at a high temperature, never bring used furniture home without checking it and act quickly at the first signs.
The bed bug and its hiding places
In homes and accommodation the leading species is the bed bug (Cimex lectularius). Knowing where it hides and where it comes from helps you act in time and prevent reinfestation.
Bed bug (Cimex lectularius)
A blood-feeding insect of 4-5 mm, flat and reddish brown, that feeds at night. It shelters in mattress seams, in the divan base, in the headboard and in cracks barely 1 mm wide close to the bed, where it also lays its eggs. It is a silent pest and hard to eradicate without a professional protocol.
A travelling pest, not a hygiene problem
Bed bugs have nothing to do with cleanliness: they arrive above all in luggage after a trip (hotels, transport), in second-hand furniture and from neighbouring homes. That ability to travel is what raises the risk in hotels, holiday flats and homes with a high turnover of people.
How to know if you have bed bugs: warning signs
If you notice any of these signs, a professional inspection is worth arranging as soon as possible. Bear in mind that up to 65% of people do not react to the bites, so check the mattress and headboard even if you feel nothing.
How we eliminate bed bugs
Our protocol is direct and honest, and it is designed to work where household sprays fail, since bed bugs have developed resistance to pyrethroids, the most common household insecticides. We combine high-temperature washing, fumigation with a spraying machine and a final gas shock to reach the most hidden shelters.
Advice and inspection
We locate the sources by following the tell-tale signs (bites in a line, faecal spots on the seams, blood stains, moulted skins and a sweetish smell) and check the mattress, divan base, headboard, skirting boards and cracks near the bed to establish the real extent of the infestation.
Tailored treatment
We remove and wash all bed linen and textiles above 60°C, the temperature at which bed bugs and their eggs die. We then fumigate the room with a spraying machine, applying authorised biocide over the mattress, divan base, headboard, skirting boards and every shelter found, and finish with a gas shock to reach the most hidden cracks.
48 hours and prevention
After the intervention it is essential to keep the home closed for 48 hours without entering and then ventilate it well; that margin is an essential part of the process and of safety. We explain transparently how to prevent reinfestation via luggage, trips, used furniture or neighbouring flats.
Why choose ERRADICAT?
What sets us apart on every job
Textiles washed above 60°C
We remove and wash all bed linen and textiles at a very high temperature, above 60°C, which is the temperature at which bed bugs and their eggs die.
Fumigation with a spraying machine
We apply authorised biocide with a sprayer over the mattress, divan base, headboard, skirting boards and every shelter found during the inspection.
Gas shock after the spraying
We finish with a gas shock after fumigating to reach the most hidden cracks and joints where bed bugs shelter.
Authorised biocides and licensed technicians
We use only products registered with the Spanish Ministry of Health under Regulation (EU) 528/2012, applied by technicians holding the biocide applicator licence.
Honesty against insecticide resistance
Bed bugs resist supermarket pyrethroids; our professional protocol works where household sprays fail and scatter the pest.
Transparent advice and prevention
We explain transparently how to prevent reinfestation via luggage, trips, used furniture or neighbouring flats.
Local experts in bed bug control
We work across the provinces of Barcelona and Girona: homes and bedrooms, hotels and tourist accommodation, holiday flats and high-turnover rentals, residences and shared flats. In a region with heavy tourist traffic the bed bug risk is high, and we offer discreet interventions that protect your home or your business and its reputation. Every treatment uses biocides authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Health, applied by technicians holding the biocide applicator licence.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we hear most before a visual inspection
How much does it cost to eliminate bed bugs in Barcelona or Girona?
The cost is adjusted to each case, according to the number of affected rooms and the level of infestation, and we give it to you in a no-obligation quote after the inspection. We explain the scope of the treatment with total transparency and, given how easily bed bugs get back in (luggage, trips, neighbouring flats), how to prevent a reinfestation before we intervene.
How do I know if I have bed bugs?
The main signs are grouped or linear bites on waking (arms, neck and legs), dark faecal spots on the mattress seams, small blood stains on the sheets and, in heavy infestations, a sweetish smell. Adult bed bugs measure 4-5 mm. Bear in mind that up to 65% of people do not react to the bites, so check the mattress and headboard even if you feel nothing.
What is ERRADICAT's treatment like and how long does it take?
We remove and wash all bed linen above 60°C, fumigate the room with a spraying machine and apply a follow-up gas shock. Afterwards it is essential not to enter the home for 48 hours and to ventilate it well on returning. The intervention itself takes one day; the 48-hour wait is an essential part of the process.
What precautions are needed during a bed bug treatment?
We use biocides authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Health under Regulation (EU) 528/2012, applied by technicians holding the applicator licence and wearing PPE. The re-entry period is strict: 48 hours without entering the home and thorough ventilation on returning, and it is not reoccupied earlier. Before we intervene we explain what has to be removed, which textiles must be washed above 60°C and the usage instructions for each product.
Do I have to throw away the mattress and furniture if I have bed bugs?
In most cases there is no need to get rid of the mattress or the furniture. We wash the textiles above 60°C and treat the mattress, divan base, headboard, skirting boards and every shelter with authorised biocide spraying and a final gas shock to reach the most hidden cracks. In fact, throwing away an infested mattress without wrapping it can scatter the bed bugs through the home or the building. We only recommend discarding a piece when its condition or the level of infestation justifies it, and we explain it with total transparency.
Where do bed bugs come from and how do I stop them returning?
They spread above all through luggage after travelling (hotels, transport), through second-hand furniture and from neighbouring homes; they have nothing to do with poor hygiene. In Spain, bed bug callouts grew 71% in 2023. To prevent them: check your luggage when you come back from a trip, wash clothes at a high temperature, never bring used furniture home without inspecting it and act quickly at the first signs.
Suspect you have bed bugs?
Ask for a no-obligation visual inspection. We locate the sources, apply a real protocol and tell you honestly what to expect and how to stop them coming back.
No obligation · Reply within 24 h · Barcelona and Girona