We had a bedbug problem in a flat I used to live in. They are incredibly difficult to get rid of. I've since learned: check the bed for the characteristic trace

We had a bedbug problem in a flat I used to live in. They are incredibly difficult to get rid of. I've since learned: check the bed for the characteristic traces of bedbugs before you sleep in it (if you see these kinds of black dots on a bed, stay away: http://www.grandmashomeremedies.com/wp-content/uploads/bed_bugs1.jpg http://www.grandmashomeremedies.com/wp-content/uploads/bed_b...), and never sleep in an infested bed. And don't move into a flat where you see this on the beds. Actually getting rid of the bugs can be nearly impossible. Most insecticides which are legal aren't strong enough to do a good job, so you end up having to resort to really extreme, flat-wide methods like steaming the entire flat. It costs a fair bit of money, and isn't always effective - particularly if the infestation actually came from a nearby building, in which case it might come back by the same method. In my case, we ended up moving out, after trying pretty much everything.