To truly manage and gain control of a bedbug infestation you need to understand the actual insect and its life cycle. Invicta has over the years developed innovative techniques that eradicate bedbugs without having to dispose of major items of furniture or costly articles. We have worked closely with major hotel chains to deliver bug free conditions quickly and effectively. Using state of the art modern insecticides supported with enhanced survey, treatment and detection techniques we believe we have the most robust program of treatment in the UK. Please give us a call to discuss your issue, we can certainly help, and we guarantee results!
Some Useful Bedbug Information
Bed bugs are true bugs (Order: Hemiptera), belonging to the family Cimicidae. Like all other members of this family they feed solely on blood, requiring a meal from one of a range of vertebrate hosts in order to develop between instars (life stages) and to reproduce.
Development Time
Development time is really important and it is vital to understand how rooms can become so infested, Bedbugs are highly influenced by temperature. Below 13°C all development ceases, females stop laying and any eggs that have been laid do not hatch. Above 36°C, damage to the bacterial symbionts, which help with the synthesis of micronutrients, results in reduced fecundity and survival. Between these two extremes development time decreases with increasing temperature (see below).
Reproductive Rate
Female bed bugs need to mate at least once every 5-6 weeks to maintain full fertility, although natural mating rates are believed to be very much higher.
The number of eggs a female lays per week is highly influenced by temperature and individual variation. In a warm room, a single female might be expected to lay 15-25 eggs per week, and up to 500 throughout her life, as long as she has continuous access to food and is regularly mated.
So you can see how easily they become out of control in properties.
Invicta’s Approach to Bed Bug Management
Investigation
Invicta will contact you to understand what issues you are having on site. We will listen and understand the issues you are having and then recommended the correct cause of action to take. A site survey may be required to better understand what the best course of action is required.
Attendance
We will agree a suitable time to attend with yourself and carry out the appropriate treatment for the pest you are having issues with.
Follow up
Appropriate follow up visits will be completed to help monitor and eradicate the issue. (Some pests may not require further follow up visits)
After care
All our visits come with detailed photographic reports so you can understand exactly what we have done and what equipment we have used.
Identification of Bed Bugs
Faecal Spots
Bed bugs start producing dark, aqueous faecal material as soon as they have fed. These faecal spots are often one of the first indicators of an infestation. Black, ink-like spots on the sheets, mattress or bed frame are one of the most recognisable tell-tale signs of bed bugs. However, very similar spots can be produced by spiders, flies and German cockroaches, so location can be an important factor in distinguishing the two.
Spots found high on the walls, on the ceiling, or on light fittings are much more likely to be produced by flies. Blood identification kits have shown promise at being able to distinguish the faecal material of blood-feeding insects, such as bed bugs, from that of other household invertebrates the products section.
Bites
Bed bugs feed on exposed skin and often prefer not to climb onto the host as they feed. This can cause bites to occur in rows as they move along the edge of the exposed skin searching for a suitable feeding site.
Bites should never be considered a conclusive sign of a bed bug infestation, as they can be caused by a range of other insects including midges, mosquitoes, fleas and lice. Similar reactions can also be caused by scabies mites and a wide variety of allergens.
Reactions to bed bug bites are highly variable between people. Some have no reaction at all, while others have strong, blistering reactions. More serious (anaphylactic-like) systemic reactions are rare but have been reported.
So do you think you may have Bedbugs, If so, give Invicta a call to discuss our treatment plan, we can definitely help you.
Eggs
The eggs of bed bugs are small (ca. 1.2 mm long), but easily distinguishable (with experience) from those of other household insects.
Under magnification hatched and viable eggs can easily be distinguished. Viable eggs are pearl coloured and, during the later stages of development, the eye-spot of the developing embryo is visible through the shell of the egg. Hatched eggs are recognisable by the absence of an end-cap and their translucent appearance.