• Bed Bug Lice,fleas & bedbugs

    Bed Bug
  • Bed Bug
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Elimination

It is important to note that bed bugs are a very particular problem. Over the years, their presence has increased, partly because of the evolution of methods to control other insects, which left the field open to their proliferation. In addition, some populations of bugs show increased tolerance to commonly used treatments, which complicates their eradication.

The frequent and rapid movement of people also contributes to the spread of these insects, especially the most resistant strains. Thus, interventions often become more complex and require specialized expertise. That is why the use of a professional remains, in many cases, the most effective solution.

However, if you want to take on the problem management yourself, it is possible to act methodically. Carefully inspect all concealable areas: cracks, crevices, bed frames, mattress or upholstery seams. Careful vacuuming of these areas (emptying or disposing of the collection container afterwards), combined with hot steam cleaning, can help reduce insect populations.

In more important situations, particular attention should be paid to textiles (mattresses, sofas, clothes, curtains), which can be treated with heat or washed at high temperature (minimum 20 minutes).

Actions

  • Wash bedding, towels, and clothes in hot water and tumble dry at least 20 minutes at high temperature
  • Vacuum box springs, mattresses, sofas, and every room in the house (empty receptacle/dispose of bag)
  • Steam items that cannot be cleaned in the washing machine
  • Request assistance from one of our pest management experts

Prevention

  • Inspect hotel rooms before settling in
  • Meticulously inspect luggage as soon as you arrive back home
  • Inspect used furniture before bringing it into your home

Description and development

The Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius L. ) is a hemimetabolous insect of the Hemiptera order. It measures 5 mm in length and is reddish-brown in color (although red after feeding). Its oval-shaped body is dorsiventrally flattened, which enables it to slip into tight spaces, like mattress seams. Its eyes are relatively small, and its mouth is a biting/sucking apparatus that it uses to pierce a host's skin and ingest its blood.
The female can lay up to 200 eggs at a rate of two per day. They are sticky in order to adhere to surfaces and be close to a food source when they hatch one to three weeks later. Nymphs, which resemble adults, molt five times before attaining maturity, a process that takes 14 to 30 days. After each time, the nymph must feed on blood before it can molt again. The life cycle varies considerably. It lasts four to nine weeks on average, but can occasionally run an entire year

Habits

Bed Bugs adjust very well to their environment, even if conditions are unfavorable. Adults can go more than a year without food and can spend the winter in unheated premises. Nymphs are almost as resistant. Bed Bugs are active at night when their hosts'humans'are inactive. However, if the premises are only occupied during the day, Bed Bugs won't hesitate to attack humans during that time. They leave traces of blood and excrement (dried blood) on pillows and sheets. In severe infestations, it is possible to detect an unpleasant and rather sweet smell.

In the early stages of infestation, Bed Bugs will be found in beds. If they multiply, they will spread to other dark areas such as behind baseboard heaters, under fraying wallpaper, on walls behind paintings, around door frames, in various items of furniture in the bedroom, and in other rooms of the house.

They move from one house to another in several ways:

  • On infested individuals
  • From neighboring apartments
  • When furniture is moved
  • When clothing is stored
  • When people travel (suitcases)

Tips

When traveling, it is a good idea to quickly check your room before settling in. Check the headboard and sides of the mattress near the pillows. Remember that bedbugs leave signs of their presence. Look for dried blood and bedbug feces near the mattress seams and in cracks in the headboard.

On your return home, inspect your baggage thoroughly. Wash and dry your clothes at high temperature and vacuum your suitcases. Throw out the vacuum bag or empty the container of central vacuum cleaner to make sure you get rid of any unwanted guests you might have brought home with you.

For more information on Bed Bug, please read issue 22 of our technical newsletter The Gatekeeper.

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