The importance of bed bug control

With global travel on the rise, the prevalence of bed bugs can be a fast-growing problem for premium hotels and boutique guest houses alike. Notorious for impacting brand image, reputation and customer satisfaction, these pests are highly challenging to eliminate and can result in revenue loss through unoccupied rooms if overlooked, or left untreated. Even the best-run and cleanliness-conscious of establishments can suffer bed bug infestations. The influx of travellers to and from exotic destinations, where bed bugs are tolerated, calls for increased efforts in regular, informed inspections and prompt remedial action.

Why it’s important to be vigilant

Unlike other common pests such as rodents and cockroaches, bed bugs need blood to survive, relying heavily on it to complete their life cycle. This makes us the perfect midnight snack for these blood sucking creatures whilst we sleep.

Once established, bed bugs are a highly formidable pest – laying up to 300 eggs over a two month period and surviving for up to a year without a blood feed.

Where to find bed bugs

Contrary to their name, bed bugs are not only found in beds. Easily transportable in clothing and baggage, these insects can thrive in just about any crack or crevice. Rarely seen in the day, they hide their paper-thin bodies in all kinds of furniture.

Take care to regularly inspect the following areas of all rooms:

• Mattresses
• Bedding
• Headboards
• Underlays
• In cracked or broken plaster
• Inside electric plugs, sockets and fittings
• Between timber floorboards
• Under skirting boards

Learn More:

• 5 ways to check for bed bugs in a hotel room
• What do bed bug bites look like?
• Sign of a bed bug infestation

How to get rid of bed bugs?

The best way to successfully prevent bedbugs from biting you is to eliminate them from your home. There are a handful of options available to help get rid of bed bugs, these can range from simple home DIY techniques to enlisting the help of a pest control professional.

DIY Approach

If you have spotted bed bug bites on yourself and think you might have a bed bug problem, follow these steps to help get rid of them from your home:

• Wash: Remove the bedding from your bed and wash them on a high heat of at least 60℃ (and for ideally 90mins). If possible, tumble dry the bedding afterwards too, for a min. 30minutes.
• Vacuum: Vacuum your house thoroughly and empty the contents in an outside bin.

Professional Treatment

The best way to get rid of bed bugs is to enlist the help of a pest control professional with specialist solutions, like heat treatment, targeting bed bugs at every stage of their life cycle.

Bed bug monitor

The unique Bed Bug Monitor uses a food-based lure, mimicking human blood to attract early stages of nymphal and adult stage bed bugs onto it, allowing for an early warning of bed bug activity.

The monitor is part of a proactive detection programme to track the presence of bed bugs at various strategic control points within a bedroom or other high-risk area. This enables bespoke control measures to be carried out in targeted areas before bed bugs spread throughout the property.

Heat Pob

Heat Pod eliminates bed bugs through the application of heat within a unique. This effective treatment is computer-controlled, quick to apply and efficiently reaches all areas of insect-infested material. The Heat Pod has been designed for ease of set up on customer premises, allowing the swift treatment of infested items on site.

For more information on bed bugs click here. Alternatively, if you think you have a bed bug problem, get in contact with us today.