A review of Bed Bugs in Liverpool, Wirral and Merseyside in 2010

One of the most hated and misunderstood pests known to mankind is the bed bug Cimex lectularius. Most of us dropped off to sleep at night as children with the words of our elders in our ears “sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite”

Bed Bugs probably started to feed on human beings at around the period we moved into caves, bat bugs Cimex pilosellus and Cimex pipistrella predominantly fed on bats and it is likely that bat feeding species of bug evolved to predate on human blood when our ancestors started dwelling in bat infested caves.

Up to the production of DDT in the early 20th century bed bugs were common pests in most poor quality homes.

The later half of the twentieth century saw pest control professionals dealing with very few bed bug call outs indeed, their presence being largely restricted to cheap holiday camps and student halls etc.

A lot of people mistake dust mites, which aren’t visible to the unaided eye, with bed bugs which most definitely are.

Adult bedbugs are red-brown, about a quarter of an inch in size and very swollen after dining on human blood.

In the absence of a suitable human host to feed on they can lay dormant for lengthy periods of up to 18 months.

The first signs of a bed bug infestation are usuallyspots of blood on sheets and on the base of mattresses and many people can react extremely badly to bed bug bites.

The early part of the 21st century saw bed bug reports exploding across the entire world, the easy availability of international travel and economic migration have both been cited as reasons for the comeback.

What is definite is that that are now making a real comeback not only in low quality properties but high class hotels, schools and even hospitals.

A single away in an infested hotel is all it takes, they hide in your suitcases or bags. Pest control companies are also now seeing cases of transport related bed bug infestations on tubes, trains and buses so a simple ride home on an infested tube or train can be sufficient to bring the these insects to your own home.

They are an expensive pest to eradicate as contrary to popular belief they do not just hide in beds. They hide in any nook and cranny conveniently close to a sleeping human target, beds, electrical sockets, televisions, bed-side telephones etc and clearing them is both difficult and time consuming. They have even been discovered found living under the toe-nails of infirm people and in the creases of flesh on grossly over-weight people.

They are not a pest that can be eradicated by an amateur and a pest control professional will almost certainly be required.

Telephone Manchester Pest Control now on 01772 837727