Bed Bugs

How do I know I have a problem? Bed bugs bite at night. The bite marks will depend on the reaction of the person being bitten, as with Fleas & other biting insects different people may react in a different way and at a different time to others. Bites are usually on areas of the body that stick out the bed covers. Bed bugs are very much visible to the eye.

They are large enough to see without any magnification; they can grow up to 1/4 inch long. Young hatch looking much like adults just much smaller. Most will appear to be a transparent tan or beige colour but will quickly turn dark brown, almost black, once they have fed. Bed bugs have almost a round body though it appears to be more oval upon closer observation. Bed bugs have six legs and are very good walkers. Many cases of
suspected bed bug infestations often turn out to be some thing else, but bed bugs infestations have been on the increase since 2003. Your Bedbug infestation may have spread from an adjoining building or from some furniture recently brought into the house, second hand clothing may also spread infestation. Bedbugs feed entirely on human blood at night when the victim is asleep. After feeding they crawl back into their hiding places which are in cracks and crevices in furniture, behind wall paper, bed frames, cupboards, mattresses etc.

Preparation prior to Treatment

Bed Bugs are one of the hardest insects to treat and treatments will only work if the preparation has been done correctly. The bed clothes must be removed & washed. The whole room(s) to be treated must be vacuumed & cleaned, the drawers & wardrobes must be emptied & the clothes stored outside & only re introduced to the rooms once they have been washed or tumble dried. The room must be clear of boxes, CDs, posters etc. Be careful not to put this objects into other rooms as you may spread the infestation.

Treatment

The infested and surrounding areas will treated with an insecticide spray called Cimetrol'* which contains alpha-cypermethrin & pyriproxyfen. The HSE Number is 7453 and the product is made by Pelgar. Alpha-cypermethrin is a powerful but safe biodegradable insecticide. Pyriproxyfen is harmless to mammals but is an growth regulator to insects (IGR). Together these chemicals make a powerful insecticide to deal with probably the most difficult insect pest found
in buildings. Demand CS'* which contains Lambda-cyhalothrin may be used instead. The HSE Number is 6287 and the product is made by Sorex. Also a powder might be used called Ficam D*. This contains an insecticide in a dust formulation @ 1% w/w Bendiocarb. All 3 insecticides are biodegradable, almost odourless, non tainting & do not corrode or stain. The areas where the Bedbugs will be expected to crawl as well as their harbourages will have been treated.

What do I do afterwards?

After treatment do not let domestic animals walk on treated surfaces until dry and if bare skin comes into contact whilst wet then wash. Do not vacuum the carpeted areas that have been treated for at least two weeks or longer if the room(s) are at low temperature. The walls, bed frames or any other treated surfaces must not be washed for at least two months. All bedding must be laundered. It is vital that the infested room(s) must be heated and occupied at night as this encourages the Bedbugs to crawl over the treated surfaces. They will only come out to feed if it is warm & they can detect carbon dioxide. They can lay dormant up to 1 year. Do not introduce ‘new’ furniture to an infested area unless this has been treated as well until the infestation has been eradicated.

Martin Bugs: These look and behave like bedbugs except that they originate from bird’s nests and look for an alternative food supply if their numbers get too great in the nest but more usually when the birds have departed. The alternative food supply is often humans. It is strongly recommended that all old bird nests are removed and burnt. Treatment is exactly the same as normal Bedbugs.
In some cases one spray should be sufficient to deal with the problem but usually the premises will need treating every 6 weeks until there is no more activity. The prices for treatments carried out after the initial spray are charged at a 10% discounted rate. Any insecticide treatments will only work on clean surfaces.