Bed Bugs have got to be the worst thing ever. Last week I did the initial treatment in a really nice house in Swindon.
The owners were pretty distraught with the whole thing by the time I arrived on the scene. Basically, they travel a lot and have recently come back from a tour of Srilanka where they visited quite a few hotels etc. One thing they did not expect to bring back home was a few bed bugs!
Unfortunately, bed bugs are normally transported via luggage and the first thing you do when you get home is dump the cases on your bed and start to unpack – giving them all the chance they need to get into your home.
As you don’t really expect to have them in your bed with you, you sort of don’t look for the signs of infestation either, again allowing them to start a breeding and feeding cycle before you realise it.
A month or so has passed since getting back from Srilanka and the client started getting some bites on her legs and elbows, and finally catching one in the act of feeding triggered the call to Rapid Pest Control!
A bed bug treatment has to be done very thoroughly and this involves a complete removal of all items from the room – clothes, shoes, bags etc which all have to be inspected, bagged and taken to be cleaned at high temperature, then the treatment can begin!
Bed bug treatments involve highly toxic insecticide dusts and sprays which need to be forced into literally every nook and cranny of every bit of furniture, skirting board, carpets and even light switches and sockets! These little devils hide in the most amazing spaces, and all must be treated. Needless to say, this operation is highly costly and labourious for all concerned – as well as traumatic for the occupants of the house.
The client has decided to invest in a new bed and mattress, so again the old bed must be wrapped up and sealed before being moved out of the room. They have also now invested in a mattress encasement to protect the new mattress from any further infestations – these encasements act as a barrier which does not allow any harbourage for insects – it is also effective against dust mites too.
I am back on Monday to do a second inspection to see if any further activity has occurred – the client has told me they have not had any further bites or discoveries and in fact have slept properly for the first time in weeks – so this is a good indication of an effective treatment, but I am always cautious of all such reports.
If you think you might have a problem with bed bugs, contract Rapid Pest Control now for advice and instruction on testing for them in your home or hotel.
One final tip, when travelling, spray the inside and outside of your cases with a DEET based bug spray – this does not kill them but acts as a good repellent – Jungle Jell etc is good – choose a 50% formula.
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