One of the most feared and misunderstood pest insect species recognized to civilisation may be the bedbug (Cimex lectularius). What number of us dropped off to sleep in the evening as kids with the parting words of our guardians inside our ears “sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite”?
Bed Bugs may have started to feed on man at around the time we moved into caves, the bat bugs Cimex pilosellus and Cimex pipistrella largely feed on bats and it is likely that bat feeding species of bed bugs evolved to feed on human blood when our ancestors started sleeping in bat infested caves.
Before the production of DDT in the early twentieth century bed bugs were commonplace guests in most poor quality homes.
The later years of the 20th century saw pest operatives dealing with very few bed bug call outs indeed, their presence being generally restricted to budget holiday homes and student accomadation etc.
Many people confuse dust mites, which cannot be seen by the naked, with bed bugs which most certainly can be seen.
Adult bedbugs are reddy-brown, about a few milemetres in size and engorged after feeding on the blood of humans.
Bed bugs typically feast upon human blood every week or so, emerging in the hours before dawn and homing in on their target by detecting the exhaled CO2 from human breath and when nearby their target, the heat from the body of their intended target.
Lacking an acceptable human meal to feed on they’re able to lay dormant for periods of up to a year or more.
The first signs of a bedbug presence are spots of blood on bedding and on the edges of mattresses and many people can react badly to the bites of these bugs.
The first part of the 21st century has seen bed bug infestations expoding across our world, the easy use of international and economic migration have both been blamed for the resurgence.
What is positive is that they are now making a real comeback not just in lower quality housing but first class hotels, schools and not to mention hospitals.
One London borough reported a doubling of bed bug bites infestations each and every year from 1995 to 2001.
One evening stay in an infested bed is all it takes, they hitch a ride in your suitcases or bags.
Pest control companies are also now confirming cases of transport related bed bug infestations on all kinds of transport so a straightforward ride to work on an infested tube or train is often all it takes to bring bed bugs to your own residence.
They are an tricky pest to eradicate as contrary to popular notion they don’t just live in beds. They live in any nook and cranny conveniently close to a sleeping human being, beds, electrical sockets, televisions, bed side telephones etc and dealing with them is both difficult and time consuming. They have even been discovered found living under the toe-nails of infirm people and in the folds of flesh on grossly over-weight people.
They are not a pest that can be dealt with by a novice and a pest control professional will quite definitely be vital.