Bed bugs are widely considered to be one of the most detested and feared pests in the UK. Perhaps you have found some unusual reddish brown spots in your bed or woken up from a lovely nights sleep covered in bites. If this sounds familiar then give Defender Pest Control a call today, we can provide a prompt and guaranteed solution to any bed bug infestation!
Bed Bug Biology
Bed bugs are a small brownish-red flattened oval shape, and they measure between 4-6mm in length- they look similar to an apple seed. Bed bugs are a nocturnal, blood-sucking arthropod and they feed on the blood of humans and animals, they most commonly feed of a night- hence the phrase ‘night night, don’t let the bed bugs bite!’
Bed bugs can set up home in any property, but they are more common in a densely populated area, buildings with a heavy turnover of different residents (hotels, hostels etc), and buildings with multiple occupancy. The ideal temperature for bed bugs to thrive in is between 21°-32°C, but they can survive in temperatures as low as 0 and as high as 49°C. This is why bed bugs are more common in warmer months.
Despite their name, bed bugs can infest many areas of a property such as crevices in the surrounding of furniture, under loose wallpaper, in plug sockets, behind pictures and behind skirting boards.
Bed bugs have an interesting life cycle and once they have attached themselves to a hosts item, whether that’s clothing, luggage, or furniture they become prolific breeders which is why rapid action is required when an infestation is suspected.
Alike to fleas, bed bugs have a lifecycle that is described as incomplete metamorphosis, a process which can take between 6-10 months. They usually live for 10 months. There are seven stages to their life cycle:
EGG
SEVERAL IMMATURE NYMPH STAGES
ADULT
Bed bugs have an interesting life cycle and once they have attached themselves to a hosts item, whether that’s clothing, luggage, or furniture they become prolific breeders which is why rapid action is required when an infestation is suspected.
Alike to fleas, bed bugs have a lifecycle that is described as incomplete metamorphosis, a process which can take between 6-10 months. They usually live for 10 months. There are seven stages to their life cycle:
Female bed bugs lay between 200-500 eggs over the course of 2 months in batches of between 10-50. If the conditions are right these eggs can hatch within a week and their sticky exterior allows them to attach to items of furniture/ fittings in a clustered formation.
Newly hatched nymphs need to shed 5 times before they can reach full adult maturity. A blood meal is required at each stage of shedding- if there is a ready supply of blood, they could reach adulthood in as little as a month and be able to reproduce themselves. Fast action is crucial to stop an infestation growing out of control!
Bed bugs can be in an inactive state for a prolonged period, and they can survive for weeks, even months without feeding. They respond to warmth and carbon dioxide, so once CO2 or other biological signatures are detected they can quickly wake from this inactive state and begin feeding.
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Prevention
Sadly, a bed bug infestation is just a case of bad luck. It can be as simple as them attaching themselves to your clothes or luggage as you travel around or them moving from room to room in a multi occupancy building. There are, however, steps you can take to lower your chances of having a run in with these pests:
- Before staying in new accommodation check for signs of bed bugs.
- Do not put your luggage or bags straight on to your bed after travelling.
- If you buy second-hand furniture have a thorough check for any signs of bed bugs before bringing it inside your property.
- Wash and dry your clothes at high temperatures.
- Declutter your space so they have less places to hide.
- Regular tidying of your bed and the floors surrounding it.
- Regular vacuuming of your property.
- Regular vacuuming of your property.
- Regularly washing your bedding.
- In business- alerting and training your staff of bed bug characteristics and infestation signs can help them detect a problem before it becomes out of control, and before guests spot it first!
Steps to take before and during a bed bug treatment
There are certain tasks we need you to do before we visit your home or business for a bedbug treatment.
This is so your treatment can be as effective as possible.
For each bedroom, you need to:
- remove all bed sheets from each bed
- take down curtains and nets
- wash all bed sheets, curtains and clothing at 60 degrees and then put them in the dryer on a hot setting for 30 minutes to kill the bugs, or have these items dry cleaned. Then store these items in sealed bags away from the areas being treated until after the treatment is completed.
- empty bedside cabinets and drawers under beds
- remove all items from the floors and under beds
- A thorough clean of the room using the crevice tool on your hoover and focus on hoovering the edges of the rooms.
- Pull all furniture away from the wall by 1 foot if possible to enable a thorough treatment of the edges of the room
People and pets must leave the home whilst it is being treated. This is because it will be sprayed with an insecticide to kill the bedbugs, which can be harmful to humans before it is dry.
After your treatment
There are certain rules you must follow after your treatment to make sure it’s as effective as possible.
You must not:
- enter your home for at least 4 hours afterwards because the insecticide spray can be harmful to people and pets
- vacuum the carpets for at least 6 days to allow the spray time to work.
You must:
- continue using the beds in the rooms where the bedbugs are. This will attract the bugs out of hiding and onto the treated areas. If you do not use the beds, the bugs will not be killed
- deep clean the bedrooms before our second visit.
