Bedbugs Archives - Beaver Pest Control

Bed Bug FAQ: Answering your burning bed bug questions.

Bed bugs are tiny pests that can cause big problems. These sneaky creatures love to hide in cracks, crevices, and bedding, making it hard to spot them. As a pest control company working with both businesses and residents in the UK, we come across bed bugs frequently. This blog is to share the answers to some of key questions people are asking about bed bugs. We’ll explore the appearance of bedbug bites, the characteristics of these bugs, and delve into the life cycle of bedbugs, including their eggs to help you understand if you are dealing with bed bugs or another type of pest.

What do Bed Bug Bites Look Like?

Bed bug bites can vary from person to person, but they generally share some common characteristics. These bites often appear as small, red lumps with a darker middle. The bites may be grouped in a line or a cluster on your neck, shoulders, back, legs or arms. Itching is a common symptom, and some individuals may experience an allergic reaction that leads to more severe reactions.

What Does a Bed Bug Look Like?

Early detection of a bed bug infestation is crucial for effective pest control. Adult bed bugs are small, oval-shaped insects with a reddish-brown colour. They are about the size of an apple seed, 4-6mm in length. They are flat, allowing them to hide in cracks and crevices easily. Bed bugs have six legs, antennae, and a specially adapted mouthpiece that they use to pierce the skin and feed on blood. The nymphs (young bed bugs) are smaller and lighter in colour but share the same general body shape.
Bedbug

How Long Do Bed Bug Eggs Take to Hatch?

The life cycle of a bed bug includes several stages, with egg hatching being a critical part. Bed bug eggs typically take about 6 to 10 days to hatch, depending on environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. Warm and humid conditions are favourable for faster development, while cooler environments may extend the hatching time
.

What Do Bed Bug Eggs Look Like?

Bed bug eggs are tiny, measuring about 1mm in length, and are often translucent or pearly white. They are usually found in clusters and are attached to surfaces like furniture or fittings with a sticky substance. The eggs are resistant to many common insecticides, making thorough inspection and treatment essential for effective control.

How Long Can a Bed Bug Live Without Feeding?

Bed bugs are resilient when it comes to survival without a blood meal. In ideal conditions, adult bed bugs can live for several months without feeding. However, they are opportunistic feeders, and when a suitable host is present, they will actively seek a blood meal. Nymphs, on the other hand, may only survive a few weeks without feeding.

Do bedbugs transmit diseases through their bites?

Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that bed bugs transmit diseases through their bites. However, their bites can lead to itching, discomfort, and in some cases, allergic reactions.

How can I prevent a bedbug infestation?

Regularly inspect your living and sleeping areas for signs of bedbugs, such as small reddish-brown insects, tiny eggs, or dark fecal spots. Keep your living space clutter-free and consider using protective mattress covers. If you are running a business that is affected by bed bugs on a regular basis such as hotels, you should consider pro-active bed bug monitoring such as Spotta.

Proactive Bed Bug Monitoring for Hotels

Spotta™ Remote Bed Bug Monitoring

Spotta™ is an innovative technology which uses remote monitored Bed Pods which attract insects and identifies bedbugs at an early stage. The
Bed Pods automatically notify your local pest control technician.
Spotta™ is a highly effective solution that requires zero commitment from
hotel staff and zero visibilty to guests. The Bed Pod has no wires, no sound
and no smells. It is also placed hidden from view to protect your reputation.
This 24/7 automatic detection solution is an innovative approach to bed
bug monitoring.

Dog Screens

Dog screens use highly trained dogs to detect bed bugs throughout your hotel. They are a quick and efficient way of screening rooms. The dogs will provide an accurate assessment of which rooms have an active infestation and are in need of treatment at the time of the screening. They can be used as an early detection service if used on a regular basis. It only takes a trained dog 1-2 minutes to search an entire hotel room. They are a great opportunity to provide due diligence and protect your business from false claims.

TruDetX Bed Bug Rapid Test

The TruDetx Bed Bug Rapid Test is a fast-acting, reliable test kit designed to accurately detect bed bug infestations, whether at high or low levels. According to scientific tests, Trudetx rapid bed bug tests were performed with 90% precision. This was achieved with extremely low bed bug activity and in hard-to-reach areas. They can now detect even low-level bed bug infestations quickly with a science-based test. This means that our customers can feel confident in moving forward with treatment to solve the problem quickly.

If you are concerned you may have bed bugs contact one of our team today on 020 8355 3443 and we can help you assess your pest problems.

Are you using your guests as bed bug detectors?

Commercial

If you work in the hospitality industry, you will be well aware that bed bugs are not new to the UK (despite the increased media coverage in recent months). Bed bugs have been an increasing challenge for hotels across the UK for decades. However, with the spotlight so firmly on bed bugs currently, there has been an increased drive for innovation to come up with new solutions to this challenge. The reality is, that as long as we have a thriving hospitality industry, we will be faced with bed bugs. These insects are spread through travel. They hitchhike across the world on luggage and clothing and whether you are a 5* hotel or a local B&B, you will likely face these insects in the coming months.

Are your current solutions effective enough for your hotel? We will introduce you to the latest innovations on the market with regard to bed bug control.

How do you currently find out about bed bug infestations?

Generally, there are one of three ways you are finding out about bed bug infestations in your hotel.

The first way, and the least preferred way, is from your guests. If you have had a guest complain about bed bugs, you have already started losing money.
The second way is your housekeeping teams. Your housekeeping teams are in the rooms regularly, you may offer training on identification and rely heavily on them finding signs of infestation before your guests do. The issue with this is that your housekeepers are not pest control experts. By the time they spot the infestation, the likelihood is there are blood stains on the sheets or mattress (which means guests have already been bitten). The other issue is that your housekeeping team are on a tight schedule to turn rooms. They won’t be carrying out a thorough bed bug survey.
The third option is that you are taking a more pro-active approach to bed bug surveys. There are several solutions you may have tried for this: dog screens, visual inspections from an expert or the more innovative digital solution on the market; Spotta™.

How much does a bed bug infestation cost your business?

Would you be surprised to hear that research has shown bed bug infestations can cost up to £55k per year based on a 200-room property with 10 bed bug incidents per year? The cost of treatment is just a small proportion of the total cost to a hotel. Research has shown there are far greater costs from loss of reputation, and customer loyalty than the immediate operational costs of having rooms out of action and having to pay compensation.

Recent studies showed that 75% of customers who find bed bugs will never return to that brand of hotel!

How important to you is your reputation?

We live in a world where a single customer with a negative experience can reach hundreds of thousands of people. Your brand, your reputation, and your customer’s experiences are continuously being scrutinised on social media as well as review sites. Maintaining a positive image has never been so closely intertwined with the success of your business.

A 1* bed bug review costs hotels an average of £10/night on every single booking made.

What is the solution?

In short: pro-active bed bug monitoring. There are a number of solutions that fall under the heading of pro-active monitoring for bed bugs. Some may argue that having housekeeping check the beds is pro-active enough. The reality is that housekeepers are changing the sheets well after the bed bugs have gone back to their cracks and crevices for the day. Unless the infestation is severe this is ineffective. So what solutions are available at night when bed bugs are feeding? In a day and age where digital data-driven solutions are impacting every industry, it makes sense to consider the impact technology could have on your pest control.

Introducing: Spotta™

Spotta™ is a technology solution that continuously monitors and identifies bed bugs in real-time. It provides alerts that allow timely intervention and treatment, limiting the damage to reputation. The system involves installing a Bed Pod in each bed under each mattress that contains a pheromone lure to attract bed bugs. Once inside the Bed Pod, a photo will be taken of the insect. A combination of AI technology and a team of expert entomologists will confirm the species and alert your local technicians. They will treat the room and because the infestation has been identified quickly. The treatment is likely to be more successful and the rooms can be returned to service more quickly.

In 94% of cases, Spotta™ identified the bedbugs before a guest was bitten.

Our webinar below explains the Spotta™ solution in more detail.

A Guide to Dealing with Bed Bugs

Commercial, Residential

Bed bugscontinue to be a concern for both homeowners and businesses. Beaver Pest Control understands the importance of effective pest management, so in this blog, we’ll look at the impact bed bugs have on our daily lives, the challenges they pose, and how to effectively deal with them.

Identifying Bed Bugs

It is critical to confirm that you are dealing with bed bugs before taking action. These small reddish-brown insects are about the size of an apple seed. They hide in the cracks, crevices, and seams of mattresses, furniture, and walls during the day, emerging at night to feed on human blood. Beaver Pest Control recommends thorough inspections to confirm their presence. Understanding the extent of the infestation is crucial to effective treatment.

Detecting Bed Bugs

One of the first steps in bed bug control is identifying their presence. Look for the following signs:

Bites: Bed bug bites often appear as itchy, red welts on the skin, typically arranged in a linear pattern.
Exoskeletons: Bed bugs shed their exoskeletons as they grow. Finding these translucent shells is a sign of infestation.
Blood Stains: Small rust-coloured or reddish-brown stains on bedding or furniture may result from crushed bed bugs.
Live bedbugs: They are visible to the human eye. Check the mattress seams and around any mattress buttons.

Treatment Options

Once you’ve confirmed a bed bug infestation, it’s time to consider your options:

DIY Approaches: Some people attempt to deal with bed bugs themselves using DIY methods, such as vacuuming, washing bedding in hot water (60c), and using bed bug sprays. While these may offer temporary relief, they often fall short of complete eradication, especially if the focus remains just on the bed. Bed bugs are known to spread around the room and even to adjacent rooms, so thorough inspections are vital.

Professional Pest Control: Beaver Pest Control recommends consulting professionals. Professional pest controllers use effective, safe, and environmentally responsible methods to eliminate bed bugs. This option provides peace of mind, knowing that the infestation will be dealt with comprehensively.Our teams are experienced in dealing with bed bugs and can ensure the infestation is fully treated. Options include insecticidal treatments, heat treatments, steam treatments and dust treatments.

Trade-offs and Challenges

Every approach to bed bug control comes with its trade-offs. DIY methods can be time-consuming and may not fully eliminate the infestation. Professional services, on the other hand, may involve some expense but offer a higher likelihood of success. It’s essential to weigh these factors carefully. Our experience is that if DIY approaches do not fully eliminate the problem, bed bugs have time to breed and the infestation increases resulting in a higher cost when the pest professionals are eventually called in. Dealing with an infestation early can save you money and hassle.

The Impact on Well-being

Considering the impact on your well-being is crucial when dealing with bed bugs. Sleepless nights, anxiety, and the risk of allergic reactions to bites are factors to consider. In this regard, the quicker and more effective the solution, the better for your peace of mind.

Conclusion

Bed bugs are a persistent problem that requires careful consideration and a strategic approach. Beaver Pest Control encourages individuals and businesses to take bed bug infestations seriously and explore their treatment options thoroughly. While DIY methods can be explored, professional pest control services often provide the most reliable and efficient solution, ensuring your safety, well-being, and peace of mind.

Remember, addressing bed bugs promptly can prevent their spread and minimise their impact on your daily life. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Beaver Pest Control for expert assistance in tackling bed bug infestations effectively.

Bed bug treatment – what you need to know

Commercial, Residential

I once read a newspaper article showing people are still being misinformed about how to eradicate bed bug infestations, which got me thinking about this morning’s topic – what do people need to know about a good bed bug treatment? For the purposes of this article, I am talking about insecticide treatments.

What should you know about an effective insecticide bed bug treatment?

Bed bugs generally hide in cracks and crevices and come out (normally at night) to feed on the host (us or sometimes pets). They are attracted by carbon dioxide and warmth. When we treat a room with insecticide we know that the insecticide will not reach all of the bed bugs and that is why it is important that a person sleeps in the room. Their body warmth and breathing draw the bed bugs out where they then come into contact with the insecticide.

So short-term pain for long-term gain.

It is important to remember that bed bugs are not known to cause disease although sleeping knowing there is an infestation is unpleasant.
The alternative is a heat treatment which should kill the bed bugs immediately. They can try and escape sometimes and it isn’t affordable for everyone.

You also need to know that if you treat for bed bugs and leave the property empty for a few months as in this case, it is very unlikely to work. The bed bugs will sit in their cracks and crevices for up to a year. As soon as the family move back in they will come out to feed attracted by the CO2 in their breath and body heat.
By then the residual effect of any previous insecticide would no longer be active.

And they are back to square 1.

It is not necessary to throw away furniture normally. Although bed bugs will normally live in and around the bed area, in bad infestations they will be found behind pictures, trunking, and wallpaper. I have seen them behind wall cladding which all had to be taken down. The video shows bed bugs hidden behind a coat rack.

This particular hotel could have thrown away all of the furniture in the room and replaced it with new and it would not have made a difference.

Things to remember for a bed bug treatment using insecticide:

• You have to sleep in the room for the insecticide to be truly effective.
• It will require a minimum of two treatments approx. 3-4 weeks apart. This is so any newly hatched nymphs come into contact with the insecticide.
• You MUST do the room prep before treatment.
• Do not hoover the room for 7-10 days after each treatment.
• Washing clothing and linen at 60c will kill bed bugs.

If you don’t want to do the above then you should consider paying the additional cost for heat treatments.

Working together with your pest controller will help clear the infestation in the quickest possible time. Contact us for more information.

Understanding Bedbugs!

Commercial, Residential

What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are small, brownish, flattened insects which feed solely on blood.

Although bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) prefer feeding on humans, they will also bite other warm-blooded animals.

Bed bugs are found all over the world and in the last few decades have become a major problem in the UK private rental and hospitality sectors.

These insects are extremely adaptable and their resilience means they are responsible for causing many sleepless nights for guests, tenants and homeowners.

Signs include irritating bites, stains on sheets, and egg cases. Although not known to carry disease, the irritation and distress they cause is enough to make them a significant problem.

They are active nocturnally and live in small cracks and crevices. At night they find us via the carbon dioxide we emit when sleeping.

A female bed bug will produce between 1- 7 eggs per day for about 10 days after a single blood meal. She will then have to feed again to produce more eggs. It generally takes a month or two for the life cycle to complete from egg to full-grown bed bug. Eggs can be laid singly or in groups and a wandering female can lay an egg anywhere in a room.

Once the bed bug has had a blood feed it will return to a crack and crevice to find harbourage.

As they have expanded from the feed they sometimes cannot fit back into the crevice they had been in. To fit into the gap they will expel a black liquid. This is haemoglobin and waste blood from the feed, the iron in the blood creates the black spotting effect.

This spotting can sometimes be the first indicator of bed bug activity.

Where to look for bed bugs?

Places to look if you think you might have bed bugs.

Bed frame
Seams of the mattresses
Curtains
Under the carpets
Behind switches
Along skirting boards

If you do find evidence then call a pest control company that will be able to treat the infestation quickly for you. 020 8355 3443

Bedbugs

Proactive Bed Bug Monitoring for Hotels

TruDetX Bed Bug Rapid Test

How do you currently find out about bed bug infestations?

How much does a bed bug infestation cost your business?

How important to you is your reputation?

What is the solution?

Introducing: Spotta™

Identifying Bed Bugs

Detecting Bed Bugs

Treatment Options

Trade-offs and Challenges

The Impact on Well-being

Conclusion

What should you know about an effective insecticide bed bug treatment?

Things to remember for a bed bug treatment using insecticide:

What are bed bugs?

Where to look for bed bugs?

CIS Details

Policy

Address

CONTACT Information