Does Birmingham City Council pest control deal with bed bugs?

Many councils in England run a pest control service for residents, and some include bed bugs at a set fee. People in Birmingham reasonably expect the same. The honest position in October 2026 is that we cannot confirm what Birmingham City Council offers for bed bugs, and we would rather say so than print a price that turns out to be wrong.

This note sets out what is known, where to check, and what to do in the meantime.

What the council’s pest service is known to do

Birmingham City Council has a page for reporting a pest problem at home and a separate route for businesses. Both are linked at the end of this note.

What has been reported in the local press is mostly about rats:

• The council introduced a charge for rat treatments in homes, often called the “rat tax” by critics. The Express and Star reported in February 2026 that it was £26.40 in 2025, with a rise to £27.60 proposed for 2026/27.
• During the long bin strike the council made rat treatments free for a period.
• In September 2025 the council issued a statement about disruption to pest control during the strike, and other reports said some services, including treatments for mice and cockroaches, had been suspended.

None of these reports gives a bed bug price or says clearly whether bed bug treatments are running now. The council has published a bed bug advice leaflet, which suggests it has dealt with them in the past, but a leaflet is not the same as a bookable service.

How to check for yourself

The quickest way is to go to the council’s pest problems at home page and look for bed bugs in the list of pests. If they are listed, note:

1. The fee, and whether it covers one visit or a course of visits. Bed bugs almost always need more than one.
2. Whether there is a reduced fee for people on certain benefits.
3. How long you should expect to wait for a first contact.
4. What preparation the council asks you to do before the visit.

If bed bugs are not listed, or the page says insect treatments are paused, the council is not your route for now. You can also ask through the council’s general contact channels, but keep a note of who you spoke to and what they said.

If you rent from the council or a housing association

Council and housing association tenants are in a different position. Bed bugs in a council flat are usually reported as a repair or a housing issue to the landlord, not booked as a paid pest visit. In a block, the landlord may need to treat several flats at once, because bugs move between homes through shared walls and pipe runs. Report it promptly and in writing.

If you rent privately

In a private let, start with the landlord or letting agent. Who pays depends on the tenancy and the facts: if the bugs were there before you, came with the landlord’s furniture or are spreading from another flat, it usually falls to the landlord. Shelter’s guide to pests in rented homes explains the position in England. If you live in a shared house, our page on bed bugs in HMOs and rented homes covers how a whole-house treatment is normally planned.

If you own your home or need it done quickly

A private specialist is the usual alternative. As a guide, a spray course for a one-bedroom flat is typically a few hundred pounds, and heat treatment for the same flat costs several hundred more. Our cost planner gives national guide ranges by size of home, with the dates a course of visits normally follows.

Private firms tend to offer a choice of methods, including heat, appointments outside working hours and written reports, which matter for landlords and businesses. If you are not sure it is bed bugs at all, a paid inspection settles it before you spend more.

What to do while you wait

Whichever route you take, the NHS advice holds:

• Put the bedding and clothes from rooms with signs through a 60°C wash, then at least half an hour in a hot dryer.
• Put anything that cannot be washed in a sealed bag.
• Keep sleeping in your own bed. Moving to the sofa spreads bugs to a new room.
• Do not throw furniture out before it is treated; carrying it through the house spreads them.

Avoid shop-bought sprays and foggers. They rarely reach the bugs in seams and cracks and can drive them into other rooms, which makes the professional treatment harder and dearer.

A note on what we say elsewhere

Because the council service is unconfirmed, this site does not show a Birmingham council bed bug price anywhere. When we can confirm one from the council’s own website, we will add it with the date we checked it.

If you would like a private specialist to look, you can send us a request below. We tell you who the firm is before anything is passed on.