Oct
8th

All About BedBugs

Categories: Pest control | Tags: , , , , , ,

Bedbugs

 

It is a common misconception that the presence of bedbugs means you have a dirty home or have been somewhere that is considered unhygienic. Bedbugs only feed on human or animal blood so they can be found in the cleanest of properties.

 

What To Look Out For

Bedbugs are usually brown in colour and have flat bodies and oval shape. They are typically no larger than 5mm when fully grown adults. During their life cycle, they have 5 different stages of development, and they need a blood meal between each of these. They shed their skins too which may appear like shell casings. Once they reach adulthood, bedbugs will look for a mate to reproduce and can do so more than 3 times a year. They cannot fly but they can move very quickly.

 

Typical Locations

Bedbugs do not like the light. They are typically nocturnal and will tend to bite you when you are sleeping. So naturally a preferred location for bedbugs to reside in is in your mattress, in seams and even the bedframe. They like dark and undisturbed locations and can be found all over the house. It is important to remember that bedbugs can survive up to a year without feeding. This makes treating for bedbugs quite difficult as the infestation may have been dormant for some time before you start noticing a problem.

 

Signs Of Infestations

The source of a bedbug infestation is sometimes difficult to determine. If you have recently acquired a used mattress or some used furniture, the chances are they may have come into your home in these. Some usual signs can include;

  • red itchy bites in the morning
  • red or brown spots on your bed sheets or duvet
  • shed shell casings
  • a musty odour

 

What Can You Do?

It is always good practice to keep your home clean and tidy, removing clutter where possible and making sure any second-hand furniture or mattresses are inspected and cleaned before being bought into your home.

 

Regularly hoovering under the bed frame, moving out sofas, bookshelves, sideboard units as these are preferred undisturbed locations for bedbugs to be hiding in. Remember to empty out the hoover often and do so outside of your property to get rid of any bugs.

 

Sometimes, the best thing to do is to contact a professional pest controller. They will have the knowledge and ability to treat the problem successfully.

 

We appreciate there may be a level of embarrassment that comes with finding a pest infestation but you can rest assured there is no judgement from us. We deal with pest problems everyday efficiently and effectively and pride ourselves on our friendly and professional customer service.