Top Pest Control Advice On Bedbugs
Bed bugs can be a problem in the UK.
They are not as common as wasps, rats or ants but can be a pain once they nestle their way into your home.
They are most common around Autumn when they are fully developed and then tend to decrease in numbers as the colder weather sets in.
While bedbugs don't carry diseases, they can cause intense skin irritation, and if the blood feed then this can lead to loss of sleep and lack of energy particularly in children.
The difficulty in spotting bedbugs arises in their size.
They are only 5mm long but have a few distinctive characteristics.
They are flat and oval shaped, and reddish brown in colour.
Although after they have fed they become purple.
Bedbugs have no wings so get around by crawling and are nocturnal by nature so become even more difficult to spot.
However, they do have a slight smell of almonds or over-ripe raspberries! Many people associate bedbugs with poverty and over crowded, unhygienic accommodation, but contrary to popular belief they can appear at any household if brought in by a carrier.
They like to hide in and near beds as their name suggests because their optimum feeding time is early morning.
Unfortunately, even if there is no host for a bedbug to feed on, they can survive for up to a year without feeding - although they do prefer to feed every five to ten days if it is available to them.
The best way to avoid bedbugs in your house is to keep it as hygienic as possible, as an unclean house is more likely to attract them naturally.
However, it is more difficult to avoid an infestation if they are carried in on a host or other animal.
If you think you do have an infestation of bedbugs, it is helpful to try and work out where they are nesting.
Look around beds and sofas, or other warm places that are likely to be close to humans.
Once you have identified where they have made their home it will be much easier to get rid of them.
There are a number of pesticide products on the market that are helpful for getting rid of bedbugs however make sure you read the label as some may be harmful to other animals in your home and may not be the most sustainable solution.
If in doubt, contact a pest control specialist who will be able to either recommend the best product for the job or deal with the problem for you in a professional and sustainable way.
They are not as common as wasps, rats or ants but can be a pain once they nestle their way into your home.
They are most common around Autumn when they are fully developed and then tend to decrease in numbers as the colder weather sets in.
While bedbugs don't carry diseases, they can cause intense skin irritation, and if the blood feed then this can lead to loss of sleep and lack of energy particularly in children.
The difficulty in spotting bedbugs arises in their size.
They are only 5mm long but have a few distinctive characteristics.
They are flat and oval shaped, and reddish brown in colour.
Although after they have fed they become purple.
Bedbugs have no wings so get around by crawling and are nocturnal by nature so become even more difficult to spot.
However, they do have a slight smell of almonds or over-ripe raspberries! Many people associate bedbugs with poverty and over crowded, unhygienic accommodation, but contrary to popular belief they can appear at any household if brought in by a carrier.
They like to hide in and near beds as their name suggests because their optimum feeding time is early morning.
Unfortunately, even if there is no host for a bedbug to feed on, they can survive for up to a year without feeding - although they do prefer to feed every five to ten days if it is available to them.
The best way to avoid bedbugs in your house is to keep it as hygienic as possible, as an unclean house is more likely to attract them naturally.
However, it is more difficult to avoid an infestation if they are carried in on a host or other animal.
If you think you do have an infestation of bedbugs, it is helpful to try and work out where they are nesting.
Look around beds and sofas, or other warm places that are likely to be close to humans.
Once you have identified where they have made their home it will be much easier to get rid of them.
There are a number of pesticide products on the market that are helpful for getting rid of bedbugs however make sure you read the label as some may be harmful to other animals in your home and may not be the most sustainable solution.
If in doubt, contact a pest control specialist who will be able to either recommend the best product for the job or deal with the problem for you in a professional and sustainable way.
