Bed Bugs

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  & Life Cycle
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Best Methods for Controlling your Pest

DIY or The Professionals?

• Small infestations may be controlled by DIY
• Large infestations and those in multi-occupancy buildings need professional management

Although bed bugs in themselves are not difficult to kill, the challenge is in finding all their hiding places. Young bed bugs can hide in crevices no wider than the thickness of a sheet of writing paper.

Unless all the bugs are eliminated, they will simple re-build their numbers and continue to give you a problem.

This is a fairly long section but if you are serious about bed bug control you should read it before starting with any control measures.

Before attempting any form of control it is essential to make time to thouroughly inspect the premises in order to identify existing and potential bed bug hiding places. The effectivness of any control measures you do will be largely dependant on the thoroughness of your initial survey.

If your problem is from a long-established infestation within houses of multi-occupancy, blocks of flats, hotels etc., then we recommend that you employ a specialist pest control company as such infestations can be extremily difficult and costly to eliminate.

Most small or new infestations can be dealt with on a DIY basis, but be aware that several treatments may be required to effect complete control because an amateur may not identify and treat all harbourages the first time.

Start your search close to the bed and gradually search the rest of the room.

Where to look for evidence of bed bugs:

• joints in the bed frame and places where fabric has been attached to the bed frame or the head-board
• the mattress, particularly seams, buttons and edge beading
• gaps behind the skirting boards and/or floor boards
• gaps behind loose or torn wallpaper
• gaps behind electrical fittings
• bedroom furniture; remove all drawers and inspect all cracks, crevices, joints and seams inside and out
• remember that young bed bugs can access hiding places no thicker than a single sheet of writing paper

What you are looking for:

• the bed bug itself (a pyrethroid-based aerosol such as Fortefog Aerosol sprayed lightly around potential hiding areas will often force the bugs into view - don't spray around electrical appliances)
• eggs or empty egg cases
• blackish spots of bug excrement
• blood smears

How to eliminate:

Non-chemical methods:

Non-chemical measures play a significant role in the effective management of bed bug populations and should always be among the first control measures implemented.

First:

• Steam clean - bed bugs (and dust mites) sucumb very rapidly to excessive heat
• Vacuum clean - as part of a good housekeeping programme for reducing dust and debris that provide hiding places for bugs and mites
• launder clothes, curtains and other fabrics
• discard/burn heavily infested items
• eliminate harborages by sealing cracks and crevices

The best non-chemical methods to control bed bugs are:

• the use of chemicals should be avoided when dealing with mattresses, instead use a portable steam unit to thoroughly clean the mattress and kill all bed bugs and dust mites. The seams and buttons on mattresses are prime hiding places for bugs and must be thoroughly steam cleaned
• fabrics such as curtains and bed clothes as well as any clothing stored within the infested room should be removed in sealed plastic bags and hot washed and dried
• where possible, use a non-chemical dust such as Oa2ki powder to puff lightly into cracks and crevices, within the framework of beds, wardrobes, chests of draws, floorboards and any other acessible potential hiding places
• in areas where it is not possible to get the Oa2ki dust, try spraying Oa2ki spray (but not into electrical fittings or appliances). Oa2ki spray is suitable for smooth surfaces where the dust will not stick, or would appear unsightly. The dust is suitable for use behind electrical fittings if applied very spareingly
• take great care to treat all potential harbourages and then seal the accesses where you can with a sealant compound or decorators caulk. Sealing the crevices will stress the bugs and cause them to move about more, increasing the likelyhood of them contacting the dust or spray that you applied into the crevices

Synthetic chemical methods:

Insecticidal resistance is an issue in some areas of the country which is further reason to try and use insecticides only as a back-up to other methods of control. No-one likes using insecticides in the home but from time to time they may be the only 'last resort' method available. However, this should not be the case with bed bugs.

Synthetic chemicals for bed bug control:

• everything refered to in the non-chemical treatment for bed bugs applies in exactly the same way but substitute Insectaban Insect Powder for Oa2ki dust and Cyperbug for Oa2ki spray. Do not use either of these products on the mattress.

Remember:

The secretive life style of the bed bug and its ability to occupy the smallest of cracks and crevices make it dificult to eliminate from an environment with a single attempt. You must be prepared to be vigilant and to repeat the treatment as necessary. It is very common, even with the services of professional pest controllers, for the bugs to 're-appear' after a few months. This may be due to re-introduction but is usually because the original infestation had not been completely eliminated.

Attention to detail is the key to effective bed bug control.

Use pecticides safely and always read and understand the labels.