Pest Control Guide: Bedbugs

Bedbugs

These vampire parasites will cause serious distress to anyone who has to share a bedroom with them. Their resilience and rapid reproduction means acting swiftly is always essential.

While their biting may go unnoticed by some (due their clever use of anaesthetic), the resulting wound can cause skin irritations and more than a few sleepless nights. When hunting for bedbugs don’t be fooled by their name, don’t just search your sheets, look in places near the bed as well. They can be found hiding in. the strangest of places e.g. electronics, picture frames and your sock drawer.

Dangers of bed bugs:

Bedbug bites can cause quite harsh reactions in some people, creating itching and swelling. In some cases the resulting scratching can cause skin infections. In severe cases people can have allergic reactions, although this is extremely rare.

What do bedbugs look like?:

Adult bed bugs are about 5mm in size, brownish-red in colour, appearing flat and oval in shape. However, younger unfed bedbugs can be translucent or slightly yellow (having not yet/recently fed) and can be as small as 1mm. Bedbugs do not go through metamorphosis, so there are no larvae, just eggs. This also means that although their shape, colour and size slightly change as they age, their younger versions are just more condensed version of adults.

Signs of Bedbugs:

Seeing skin blotches, marks, or feeling the itch from bites will often be the first warning sign. Spotting blood stains on your sheets, husks, small droppings (small black dots) or eggs can also be key indicators. When looking for bedbugs search areas near the bed such as lockers, carpets, items of clothing etc, as bedbugs will often be found near but not on the bed, returning to feed but not hide there.

Life cycle of a bedbug:

Bedbugs usually live for about 4 to 6 months, their cycle from egg to adult bedbug can vary hugely depending on the environment they’re in. In the right environments bed bugs can last for up to 400 days, and that’s even without a host to feast on. Bed bugs inseminate their mates through traumatic insemination, a process of stabbing their mate in the side, these parasites really are the stuff of nightmares!

How to get rid of bedbugs:

Bed bugs are one of the toughest infestations to deal with. Professional pest control is always recommended. They are incredibly durable, resilient, and release pheromones when a threat is present, this causes others to hide and survive insufficient attempts at treatment. They can lay dormant for weeks before returning to feed. If you suspect you have bedbugs do not disturb the area, verification will be easier before the evidence is destroyed. Our expert techs will inspect and where necessary, safely and methodically treat the area. We’ll also bag any items which require washing in 50c heat or above.

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