Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are a nuisance insect which has been with us for thousands of years, being transmitted from host to host on clothes, in luggage and from staying in infested hotels or bed and breakfasts. Some people pick up bed bugs after they have been away bringing them back home with them, but they can also be transmitted in infested second hand furniture and clothes.
Possibly the first sign that you have an issue with bed bugs is when you have bites around your body, mainly but not exclusively around the softer tissue of the legs, neck back and shoulders. Leaving a red and irritated bite mark. These marks are where the bed bug has fed on your blood in the night, very unpleasant and the reason why bed bugs have been so successful. The only thing they need from humans (and other animals) is our blood, for this reason they are just as at home in clean and tidy home or hotel as they are in one that has bad hygiene, we all have blood, and that’s what they need to survive.
Other signs that a bed bug infestation has taken hold is very small spots of blood around 1mm wide, your blood most likely, that they have excreted out in cracks and crevices. This will usually be around their harbourage point (hiding place) around the bed. You may see small white eggs that are very small but can be seen with the naked eye. The more severe the infestation the more visible these signs will be, you may also see the bed bug themselves, a small brown insect about the size of an apple pip which will be around the bed or other effected area. You can also see clusters of bed bugs hiding in cracks and crevices if you look hard enough. Unfortunately, by the time you notice these
signs it is already too late.
How To Treat Bed Bugs
Although there are products you can buy on the internet which promise to eradicate bed bugs, I would caution against trying to treat bed bugs yourself. I’ve carried out plenty of jobs in which the customer has purchased these kinds of products which have failed, and then have to pay for a treatment as well as the product. There is no substitute for a knowledgeable pest control technician who can carry out bed bug treatment thoroughly and safely in your home or business. A proper plan of action will be devised by the technician to quickly and effectively eradicate the bed bug issue.
The usual treatment plan will involve a chemical spray which once dried onto the treated surfaces including the affected beds, chairs walls and floors and any harbourage points that the technician finds. This is done over three visits using a different insecticide each time to combat any resistance to the chemical.
