Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are difficult to control, even for the seasoned professional pest controller, so take note please.

The essential to obtain good control of biting bed bugs, is good preparation.

We are going to assume the bed bugs are in fact in a bedroom, therefore, the bugs target for food is going to be the human resting in the bed. Bed bugs only food, blood, is usually imbibed from a sleeping person in the middle of the night.

Bed Bugs like to be as near to the food source as possible and will usually be found within one metre of the bed in all but the most serious infestations. Be aware that bed bugs may sometimes wander to another room in search of a food source, so carefully check ALL bedrooms. Please also consider if the bed bugs may be in a chair or sofa that is in the room and apply the same one metre rule to that item.

Firstly, strip ALL the bedding from the bed, place in a bin liner, seal, and take to the washing machine ready for hot laundering. Remove and clean any soft toys

Carefully and thoroughly vacuum the bed mattress and bed frame.

Secondly, gather all your pest control products and pest control equipment, in the room ready for use (including tools for dismantling the bed).

Dismantle the bed completely, using the aerosol to kill any bed bugs discovered during this process.

If there is a bedside cabinet, dismantle that too. Place all the contents to one side away from the treatment area.

If there is a wardrobe or chest of drawers close to the bed, then empty that, remove drawers (the ones in the cabinet LOL !!) and search for evidence of bed bug activity, using the aerosol to kill any disturbed bed bugs.

Please check the whole room for bed bug activity as, although bed bugs usually tend to congregate around the bed, it is not a written rule and you may find them on another part of the room. Treat wherever you find them of course.

Residual insecticides are used to spray all cracks and crevices, this includes, bed base, matress,  tables, chairs, wardrobes, bed side tables, headboards and all skirting boards. 

The lead bedroom where evidence found is treated, and any adjoining bedroom and corridors. Two treatments minimum are required.

Appearance

• 4 to 5mm long.
• Oval and flattened from back to underside, well developed legs, but wings absent.
• Mouthparts adapted to piercing and sucking.
• Red to brown in colour.

Lifecycle

• 200 – 500 eggs laid over a 2 month period in batches of 10 to 50. 

Habits

• Feed on human blood.
• Found in cracks and crevices, headboards, behind peeling wallpaper, broken plaster, light switches, under carpets and skirting boards etc.
• Bed bugs are nocturnal