Although still low in numbers, bed bugs are making a comeback to the UK and leaving itchy, red bites in their wake. Local pest con...
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Bed bugs were largely wiped out by DDT after World War II, but for whatever reason – resistance to pesticides, changes in people's travel habits – their numbers are increasing at an alarming rate.
As to their spread, bed bugs are great hitchhikers and they go where people travel. The millimeter-sized insects congregate in temporary housing – hotels, apartments – and appear to be travelling into the UK from abroad.
Adult bed bugs are nearly the size of an apple seed, and are nocturnal and wingless, so if you think you've spotted one during the day, its probably not a bed bug. They are usually detected through their handiwork – that is, bites – but they can also be seen with an attentive naked eye. Like mosquitoes, they inject an anesthetizing agent into their victim so that their bites cannot be felt. They also tend to leave small, dark stains on sheets, both from their victim's blood and their faecal matter.
Bed bugs are not an indication of the cleanliness or safety of a hotel, as infestations occur in both high- and low-end hotels. Bed bugs simply ride in on the guests; they are not like cockroaches or rats that are often a result of sanitation or structural issues.
After receiving a call concerning a potential bed bug infestation, the most important thing is to go out and inspect to make sure that bed bugs are indeed the culprit. Then the removal process can begin.
Notoriously resilient to removal techniques, a bed bug infestation often requires multiple treatments as the insects are able to squeeze into tight nooks and crannies, which are almost impervious to applied treatments.
Article provided by SDA Pest Control