Professional Bed Bug Control in Gloucester and Cheltenham
(Cimex lectularius)
Gloucester and Cheltenham Pest Control
Bed Bug Characteristics
Bed bugs are small, parasitic insects like fleas, that feed on the blood of their host. They appear shaped like an apple seed. A fully grown adult is approximately 5mm in size. Bed bugs go through the incomplete metamorphosis life-cycle, which means they go from an egg to a stage one nymph. There are five stages of bed bug nymphs.
Each time a bed bug grows from one stage to another, it sheds its moult. These moults can be found in infested rooms where the bed bugs are hiding. Bed bugs are most commonly found in bedrooms. However, bed bugs will also infest furniture, such as sofas, where people will sometimes fall asleep.
Transportation of Bed bugs
Bed bugs are also known to infest public transportation, such as trains, buses and taxis, where they hide between the crevices of passenger seating. Bed bugs can also easily be transported into people’s homes in luggage, or infested bedding. Typically when people have sleepovers in an already infested property. It should be noted that who have a bed bug infestation often do not even know they have a bed bug problem, until it is too late. By the time the infestation has been detected, the bed bugs have been transported from one property to another.
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Bed Bug Removal
Bed bugs are known to be notoriously difficult to eradicate, as they are known grow to be resilient to many insecticides currently being used. They also have the ability to hide in the smallest of cracks and crevices when bed bug control is being carried out. When a treatment is applied, they often secrete an alarm pheromone when threatened. This can lead them going into hiding for long periods of time, and they will avoid coming into contact with the applied insecticide residue after the bed bug control has been carried out.
The most common treatment used for bed bug control is the application an insecticide residue which is applied using a compression sprayer. This is a water based fomulation that finely sprayed onto the infested areas. This insecticide is very toxic when wet, and the pest control technician has to wear PPE and RPE when applyng the treatment. It is also extemely toxic to aquatic life. When an insecticide treatment has been applied, there is a four hour evacuation period before the property can be reentered
One of the most effective methodes of bed bug control is applying heat. This can be done using a steamer, or actually heating the infested rooms to over 55 degrees for two or more hours. There are companies that specialise with providing a bed bug control heat treatment service. But this can be very expensive, with companies charging in excess of £1000 pounds per treatment.
When a property is heated, the rooms still have to be prepared, by pulling furniture away from the walls and opening furniture draws etc. Products like makeup and anything that may be affected by the heat also have to be removed from the rooms.
Human Health and Bed Bugs
Infestations of bed bugs can cause a variety of health problems for people. Including skin rashes, allergy symptoms, and even psychological effects such as stress, anxiety and insomnia. It is therefore important to address a bed bug infestation as soon as it is detected.
Bed Bug Prevention
Preventing a bed bug infestation can be extremely challenging. As previously mentioned, bed bugs are known to spread through human travel. They will often infest people’s luggage, their clothes and are even known to hide in secondhand furniture. Regularly inspecting mattresses and bedding can indicate whether someone has a bed bug infestation or not. Spotting is where the host bleeds on the bedding after being bitten. You may also find fecal matter or molted skin
FAQs About PestEx's Bed Bug Treatment
PestEx provide an effective bed bug treatment service in Gloucester, Cheltenham and the surrounding areas. If you would like to know more on what our treatment involves, please visit our ‘Frequently Asked Questions‘ page for more information.
