Bedbugs

The bed bug enjoys the luxury of centrally heated dwellings, which they exploit all year round. They avoid the light and hide in/on furniture, on bed frames, in & behind skirting boards and plug sockets, on curtain poles, behind hanging pictures, inside divan frames, on mattresses and headboards.

Their characteristics. Bed bugs are parasites & feed exclusively on blood, usually human blood. The bugs climb over their human hosts during the night and use their piercing mouthparts to penetrate the skin for feeding. Adult bed bugs are approximately 5mm long and 3mm wide. They are oval in shape and usually dark reddish brown in colour, although the colour may vary. Bed bug eggs are pearly white and 1mm long. Females feeding regularly will lay 2 or 3 eggs per day, up to a maximum of 12!

The treatment. Insecticidal treatment will be required to eradicate bed bugs. It must be thorough and extensive and will often include treatment of furniture, skirtings and picture rails, curtains, bed frames, headboards and underneath the edges of carpets, etc. Treatment may be needed in all rooms, or all rooms on the same floor.