Summer is upon us, and travel is opening up, with that we are now more susceptible to bed bug infestations. There is a common misconception that bed bugs are attracted to filth, when in fact they are not picky about where they dwell as long as they have a host to feed off of.  As we start to travel you may find that you have picked up these nasty little critters along the way and brought them home. Here is what you need to know about bed bugs.

What are bed bugs:

• They are insects from the genus Cimex that feed on human blood.
• They are small insects that often live in furniture or bedding.
• They can be dark yellow, red or brown.
•  A single pregnant female has enough eggs to start a colony.

Evidence you may have an infestation:

• You may notice bites on your person. Little red, itchy spots.
• Blood spots. Their feces resembles that of blood spots.
• Eggs. You may notice whitish colour eggs in the crevices and joints of our bed
• Bed bugs go through life cycles and may shed their skins and it is a light brown colour.
• Musky odour that is sometimes described as a sweet, sicken rotting raspberry smell.
• Spotting an actual bug.

How they spread:

• If you disturb them
• If they are lacking food and need a new host
• If you throw out infested items
• If the colony grows too rapidly and they need more sources to feed on.
• From other infested humans, via shared spaces.

How can you stop them from spreading:

• When traveling, inspect your hotel room, don’t unpack until you are certain.
• Inspect second-hand purchases, especially things with fabric.
• Don’t throw infested items away without proper procedure in place.

What to do if you find them in your home:

• Make sure it is identified properly (calling a pest control profession in is always best practice).
• Gather all infected bedding and wash them on the highest heat possible (45°C).
• Avoid DIY treatments, or available in-store products.

If you think you may have a bed bug issue, please contact us for full details of our services or give Hillbans Pest Control a call at 01983 406 999 or and we can help ease your mind and treat your beg bugs.