LONDON PEST CONTROL AVAILABLE 24/7
Bed Bugs (Cimex Lectularius) are unpleasant bloodsucking pests that can live undetected for many months in hard to spot sometimes hard to reach areas of your home or business. And according to Forbes August 2020 article ‘Bed Bugs on the rise despite Covid19 new study suggests’, they are on the rise in Europe.
In this article we look at how you can turn amateur detective when looking for bed bugs in your home or business; the common signs of bed bugs; the symptoms that strongly indicate you have been bitten, plus the best ways to treat an infestation.
Bed bugs spend much of their time in dark, hidden locations like mattress seams, or cracks in a wall.
They can infest aircraft, ships, trains, buses, offices, homes, and leisure spaces. They are frequently found in dwellings with a high rate of occupant turnover, such as hotels, motels, hostels, dormitories, shelters, apartment complexes, tenements, and prisons. But increasingly bed bugs are making their way into homes – often brought to your home courtesy of your holiday luggage, office rucksack, even on your clothing as you return from a restaurant, the cinema, and your favourite gallery.
But where can they be found in your home or business? The unfortunate answer is that once you have a bed bug infestation, if left untreated, the bed bugs will spread to every room, and can do so very quickly.
We advise that you check all the following to determine the extent of the infestation.
When looking for a sign of bed bugs you should find at least one of the following:
Bear in mind that because other types of insects can resemble bed bugs you should take a few photographs of the tell-tale signs of bed bugs themselves. Show these images to a professional before going any further.
It’s no fun being bitten by a bedbug and whilst the bites are not known to be harmful, they are none the less unpleasant and cause itching. A severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis is also possible but rare.
Bed bugs can bite anywhere on the body where there’s skin. Typically, the bites are found on the skin that is exposed as you sleep. For example:
It’s quite usual not to feel the bite itself or have symptoms beyond the small dots where the bed bug bit. In most cases symptoms occur within minutes of the bite and with no further irritation they should clear up within a week. Keeping the affected area clean and by avoiding scratching the bite will speed up recovery
Be prepared for a long haul if you are treating an infestation of bed bugs in your home or business. Just when you think you have got the better of the bugs, they can return and often with a vengeance. It’s challenging to find all their hiding places although a very good torch and perseverance helps.
The below tips should help you prevent and limit the severity of an infestation;
Helpful advice from NHS England Bed bugs – NHS (www.nhs.uk) states:
‘Contact your local council or pest control service -it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get rid of bed bugs yourself because they can be resistant to some insecticides” and…
Intensive cleaning of all known bed bug ‘haunts’ whilst not spreading the infestation from one room to another is crucial if you are to succeed. Another very effective treatment to rid your property of bed bugs is through heat treatment.
We know how distressing it can be to find an infestation in your home of any pest. So, if you find yourself at a loss as to what to do, get in touch with us for advice and to arrange a survey.
As bed bug exterminators with over 25 years of experience, bedbug infestations are all in a day’s work for us. So don’t hesitate to ask for advice if you spot the signs of bed bugs and it is proving beyond control, or you simply want confirmation that those pests you have spotted really are bed bugs.