One of the most reviled and misunderstood pests known to man is the bed bug (Cimex lectularius). How many of us gone off to sleep at night as young ones with the words of our parents in our ears ‘sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite’?
Bed bugs probably started to feed on man at about the time we moved into caves, the ‘bat bugs’ Cimex pilosellus and Cimex pipistrella primarily feed on bats and it is probable that bat feeding species of bug evolved to dine on human blood when our ancesters started dwelling in bat infested caves.
Until the advent of DDT in the early 20th century bed bugs were common non-paying guests in much low quality homes.
The later part of the 20th century saw pest control companies dealing with very few bed bug infestations indeed, their presence being largely confined to inexpenisve holiday camps and student lodgings etc.
Many people mistake dust mites, which are not visible to the naked eye, with bed bugs which certainly are.
Adult bedbugs are reddish-brown, about a quarter of an inch in size and greatly swollen after a feed of our blood.
They grow by an incomplete metamorphosis which means that the nymphs are just smaller copies of the adult, they do not have a maggot stage like a flea or a fly.
Bed bugs usually feed on human blood every 7 – 10 days, coming out in the hours before dawn and sensing their target by sensing the exhaled carbon dioxide from human breath and when close in on their target, infra red body heat.
In the absence of a suitable human to dine on they can remain dormant for periods of up to 18 months.
Indications of a bed bug problem are spots of blood on bed sheets and on the underside of mattresses and many people can react badly to their bites.
The early 21st century has seen bed bugs numbers increase across the world, the easy availability of international travel and economic migration have both been blamed for the resurgence.
What is certain is that thet are now making a major return not only in low quality housing but high class hotels, schools and even hospitals.
One London borough noted a doubling of bed bug problems each year from 1995 – 2001.
Just one night away in an infested hotel is all it takes, they hitch a ride in your suitcases or bags. Pest control firms are also now reporting cases of transport related bug infestations on tubes, trains and buses so a simple ride to work on an infested bus or train can be enough to spread the infestation to your home.
They are an expensive pest to eradictate as contrary to popular mythology they do not just live in beds. They infest any nook and cranny conveniently close to a sleeping human, beds, electrical sockets, televisions, bed-side bed side telephones etc and dealing with them is both difficult and time consuming. They have even been found living under the toe-nails of infirm persons and in the rolls of flesh on heavily over-weight people.
They are not a pest problem that can be tackled easily by an amateur and a professional will almost certainly be required.
Call 0161 930 8814 or 0800 019 8382 or Visit Harrier Pest Control
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