I just found a bed bug. What do I do tonight?

Finding a bed bug feels like an invasion of the one place you should be safe. But bed bugs are not a sign of a dirty home. They travel in luggage, clothes and furniture, and they turn up in tidy homes and good hotels alike. Tonight is not about fixing everything. It is about containing them, so you can get some sleep while you plan the next step. And yes, you can sleep in your own bed.

First, keep the bug

An adult bed bug is flat, oval and reddish brown, about the size of an apple seed. Young ones are smaller and paler. Catch it on clear sticky tape and press the tape onto white paper, or seal it in a small bag. Take a sharp photo. A professional can confirm it from that, and it means you are not relying on bites alone. Our bed bug guide has a drawing of one, with the size, colour and signs to check it against.

What to do tonight

1. Stay in your bed. It sounds wrong, but moving to the sofa or another room can spread them. Bed bugs follow the person.
2. Strip the bed inside the room. Put the bedding straight into a bin bag, tie it, and only open it at the washing machine.
3. Hot wash, then tumble dry on the hottest setting the fabric label allows. The dryer does most of the work. Things that cannot be washed can often go straight in the dryer, if their care label allows it.
4. Make the bed an island. Pull it away from the wall. Tuck the sheets so nothing hangs to the floor. Clear everything from under the bed.
5. Bag the clothes from the floor and the chair near the bed. Keep the bags sealed in the room until they go in the wash.
6. Fit interceptors under each bed leg as soon as you can get them. These are cups that catch bed bugs climbing up, and they show you whether the bugs are still there.

Do not set off a bug bomb

It is the first thing many people reach for. Foggers spray into the open air, but bed bugs hide in seams, joints and cracks the mist does not reach. They can also scatter the bugs into other rooms and leave residue on everything. Spraying the mattress with whatever is under the sink is no better. Use only products whose label says bed bugs and mattresses, exactly as the label says.

Asthma, a baby or a pregnancy: skip DIY sprays and dusts. Tell the pest controller, so they can choose products that suit your home and tell you when it is safe to come back in. For itchy bites, a pharmacist can suggest something. See a doctor if bites spread, blister or look infected, or if you feel unwell.

The next few days

Bed bugs rarely go with DIY alone, so book a professional inspection. Ask these questions before you agree to anything:

• Will you inspect and confirm it before you treat?
• Which method: heat, insecticide, or both? Why that one for my home?
• How many visits are included, and how far apart?
• What do I need to do before you come?
• What happens if they come back? Can I have that in writing?

If they cannot come for a few days, keep doing what you did tonight. It slows things down and helps the treatment when it happens.

If you rent, tell your landlord in writing today, with the photo and the date. Our page on who pays for bed bugs in a rental explains the usual pattern and who to ask where you live. If money is tight, our page on bed bugs without an exterminator covers what you can do and where to look for lower-cost help.

If you cannot sleep

Almost everyone sleeps badly at this stage. Lying awake waiting for a bite is exhausting. A clean, freshly dried set of bedding, a bed away from the wall and interceptors on the legs make the bed much harder to reach. Our page on bed bugs and anxiety has more for the nights that feel long.