Bed bugs and silverfish: how to spot them and get rid of them
Identify bites, droppings and shed skins, tell bed bugs from lookalikes, and learn which treatment methods actually work in Swedish apartments.
Bed bugs are back in Swedish cities after years of increased travel, and silverfish are among the most common complaints in newly built bathrooms. Neither is a health risk, but both are hard to eliminate alone.
The critical first step is correct identification. The wrong method on the wrong insect wastes time and often makes things worse.
How to recognise bed bugs
Look for small black dots along mattress edges and bed frame joints, that is droppings. You will often also find translucent shed skins.
Bites come in rows of three to five and itch most in the morning. Many people show no reaction at all for the first few weeks, so no bites does not mean no bed bugs.
Silverfish, paper fish and other damp-loving insects
Silverfish like damp bathrooms and feed on starch. The paper fish tolerates drier conditions and eats book spines, wallpaper paste and cardboard, and is harder to remove.
The base measure is always moisture: improve ventilation, dry the floor drain and seal gaps around pipes. Pesticides without moisture control give only temporary relief.
Methods that work
For bed bugs, heat treatment is the first choice in Swedish apartments. The whole room is heated above 50 degrees for several hours, killing adults and eggs in one pass.
Chemical treatment is used as a complement and normally needs two to three visits. Freezing works on individual pieces of furniture but not on a whole home.
What to do before the technician arrives
Wash bedding at 60 degrees and tumble dry hot, vacuum thoroughly, and empty the vacuum straight into a sealed bag in an outdoor bin.
Do not move to another bedroom. Bed bugs follow their host, so changing rooms simply spreads the infestation to more furniture.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I get rid of bed bugs myself?
- In practice, no. The eggs survive most home methods, and a half-finished attempt usually spreads them to more rooms.
- Are silverfish dangerous?
- No, they carry no disease. They can damage books, wallpaper and cardboard, and they almost always signal excess humidity.
- Do I have to throw out the mattress?
- Rarely. After proper heat treatment the mattress can normally be kept, ideally with a tight encasement cover.
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