Pest Control: Bed Bugs

Exterminate Bed Bugs

Firstly, never attempt a DIY bed bug treatment, it is likely to fail, and will probably make the bed bug infestation worse. Secondly, don’t panic and start moving items around the house as you are likely to spread the problem. Get a reputable pest controller to carry out an inspection without delay, and confirm there are bed bugs present. A proper bed bug treatment demands extreme care and attention to detail otherwise further problems and expense will occur. Our expert bed bug control uses the very latest bed bug control products coupled with continuously updated methods to deal with this very difficult pest. With our minimum chemical usage policy, you can be assured that your treatment is safe and correctly tailored to your situation. It is also vital with bed bugs that correct procedures are followed for control. It is also recommended that monitors are used following treatment.

Why do bed bugs need controlling?

Modern lifestyles are believed to be responsible for recent increases of bed bug infestations. Bed bugs are great travellers and they will hitch a ride in luggage and personal effects and will quickly infest a new room, no matter how clean the dwelling is. Second hand furniture and electrical goods are another source of unexpected bed bug infestation as is public transport and seated areas such as cinemas.
Bed bugs feed on blood, and although the bites are not felt at the time, they become itchy and sometimes infected. Occasionally an allergic reaction can follow a bite.
In hotels, the presence of bedbugs can be disastrous for reputation and revenue, even though it is the customers that have imported the problem.
A bedbug problem in the home can be deeply distressing time.

Identifying bed bugs.

Adult bed bugs are small brown insects that best resemble a flat ladybird in shape. Juvenile bed bugs are similar, but are sometimes translucent with a red abdomen if hey have recently fed.

Bed bug symptoms are bites, usually around the neck area and lower legs. Bed bugs are rarely seen unless you are looking for them. When looking for signs of bed bugs, check around mattress seams, skirting, lifted wallpaper, behind fixed headboards and bed frames.
You are looking for tiny spots of blood, usually in a clump, often with bed bugs nearby.

If you are experiencing bites, but bed bugs are not found, we are happy to inspect your property to identify the cause of bites. We do charge for this as it comprises part of the control treatment.

How are bed bugs controlled?

Bed bugs are such a serious problem pest that the treatment must be very carefully planned and meticulously executed. Amateur or miss-informed treatment will result in the spread of the pest, and subsequent control will be more difficult. Control is achieved with insecticidal sprays and dusts and the full co-operation of the property owner or tenant.

Bed bug biology.

Bed bugs live in the gaps in bed frames, mattresses and decor that surround a bed. They emerge in the dark and feed on the blood of their host. The eggs of bed bugs are laid in cracks and crevices and given the correct temperature, hatch into nymphs which also feed on mammal blood. They moult five times before reaching adult size. Bed bugs can survive a long time between feeds, and this only serves to make their control more difficult.
Swift treatment is needed if bed bugs are found as modern lifestyles especially central heating and easy travel allows them to proliferate.