Bed Bugs

Bed Bugs are small, flat oval insects that grow to about 5mm in length, about the size of an apple seed. They have a brownish body, that after feeding will become a red colour. Bedbugs feed on the blood of humans and animals and most commonly at night, making them nasty house guests if they do find their way into your home or property.  

These insects are prolific breeders, so once they attach themselves to a hosts item of clothing or luggage, occasionally used furniture and couches that are already hosting these pests, a room/house/hotel room can quickly become infested. They then hide in small cracks and crevices because of their shape they can fit into places as thin as a credit card.  Bedside furniture, luggage (especially if you travel frequently), and in particular mattresses, box springs, bed frame, headboards, loose wallpaper and bedside furniture are their favourite hiding places, making it easy for them to find, and feed on human blood at night.  It is also important to note that bed bugs can also survive on cats, dogs, domestic pets, but sometimes also if there is a rodent problem, or wild animals in the vicinity such as birds or bats. Bat Bugs are a close relative of bed bugs but feed primarily on bats rather than humans, and are so close in similarity, you can only tell them apart under a microscope.

The most common species of bed bug in the U.K is Cimex lectularius.  They are part of the Cimicidae family which includes the Bat Bug.  Males and female bedbugs are blood-sucking and will feed on blood, become engorged and fall off the host, but female bed bugs bite more frequently as they need the blood to develop their eggs.  It is the allergic reaction to the bed bug bite that can cause a skin infection.

They are an increasing problem worldwide, because as people travel for both business and leisure, the chances of encountering a bed bug infestation and inadvertently spreading them increases. These pests are also becoming an increasing issue in student accommodation, care homes and apartments, but have been found in airplanes and buses and once established they can move easily between rooms and properties spreading bed bugs to other areas.

• Bed bugs lay 200 – 500 eggs over a two month period in batches of 10 - 50.
• Adult females must have a blood meal from warm-blooded mammals, such as people before egg-laying.
• Eggs are usually hidden in cracks and crevices and can be attached to infested items of furniture, fittings or soft furnishings such as mattress seams, box springs, bed linen and other items, in clusters by a transparent substance.
• There are 7 stages to the lifecycle from egg to fully grown adult bug which can be from 45 days, but may take up to a year.
• The typical lifespan of a bedbug is about 50 days to over a year depending on favorable conditions.
• They can survive for weeks to months without feeding, waiting for a human host.