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| Description | Danger Signs | Potential Harm | Bedbug Preventative Measures | Bedbug Pictures |
Bebugs (Cimex lectularius) |
| Description |
They are easy to recognise and have very distinguishable features. Bedbugs are flat, oval shaped, blood-feeding insects that are normally reddish brown in colour.
This can change from almost pink to a more purplish colour before and after feeding. The adult bedbug is approximately 5mm in length, and has three stages in its life cycle, egg > nymph > adult. The bedbug has five growing stages and at each stage looks like the adult.
Bed bugs are extremely well adapted to living in close quarters with humans and due to our living standards they thrive, regardless of how spotlessly clean we keep our residences.
The mouthparts are well adapted for piercing and sucking. Bedbugs feed on human blood and only need to feed every 3 to 5 days. The adult bedbug may live between 9 - 18 months at normal room temperature of 18 - 20°C providing there is a host available. Generally, if room temperature is high, the life expectancy of the adult bedbug decreases. At lower temperatures bedbugs become lazier in their movements and their growth will slow greatly. In this condition, they show good resistance to starvation. Both male and female have been known to survive a year without feeding.
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Danger Signs |
Bed bugs conceal themselves very well although visible to the human eye. Remain at most times undetected retreating into a range of cracks and crevices in its environment your abode!
A very good method of gauging if you have bed bugs is applying very sticky double sided or carpet tape on all sides of your bed frame, thereby catching them or even as a temporary measure to help against immediate biting as the host sleeps.
Generally black dots closely bunched together are signs of bed bug faeces.
Surprisingly bed bugs also hide under your carpets.
These insects need to be where a host is going to be, for an extended period. If in the bedroom, they will come out at  night while the host is sleeping, from hiding places such as the frame and headboard of the bed, behind any loose or peeling wallpaper, cracks in wood-work or plaster, from behind ward-robes or bedside cabinets. In the lounge area, they favour soft furnishings and are often found around the arm joints of armchairs and settees.
You will be bitten!
The initial warning of a growing infestation is from actually being bitten.
The resulting irritancy of the anti-coagulant chemical around the bite site can be severe, particularly to people with soft sensitive skin. Scratching is difficult to resist but this can cause infection of the bite area. If this is a likely problem, you should consult a Doctor or Chemist to obtain appropriate medication.
Bedbugs are more active at night, and infestations occur mainly in the bedroom and lounge areas. The bedbug feeds on the host by finding a bare patch of skin, through which it forces the feeding tube of its mouthparts, whilst at the same time injecting the host with its saliva. The saliva contains a chemical that prevents the blood from clotting. It is this substance that causes the itch and swelling associated with the ‘bite’
The bite from this insect can be very irritating. If they are allowed to multiply unchecked, numbers could become such, that the host/s may become anaemic through blood loss, although this is rare.
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| Potential Harm |
Primarily due to the fact there number one food source are humans. In some cases individuals may find they are allergic to the bite and can suffer inflammation or worse, such as anaphylactic shock (severe, whole-body allergic reaction).
If you think bed bugs are infesting your home or business it is essential you take immediate steps to eradicate them. They are known not only to be very irritating but also to spread disease such as, malaria, yellow  fever, west nile virus, and although not scientifically proven perhaps even Hepatitis B if hosting on more than one individual, a major concern in the Hotel/Hostel/B&B businesses.
After feeding, the bedbug returns to its hiding place to digest its meal. It then mates; the female lays eggs that remain attached to her. The eggs are usually laid within the hiding place. During her lifetime the female can lay up to 200 eggs, at a rate of between 4-5 per day which hatch after 10-14 days, growth to an adult can take a few weeks to several months, depending on temperature and other environmental factors. |
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Bedbug Preventative Measures |
With the ease with which the insects travel in luggage, clothing and furniture it is very easy to become infested especially Hotels/Motels/Short term letting properties.
It is recommended that any foreign furniture, luggage, clothing are checked before bringing them in your residence. Steam treating, dry cleaning or thoroughly laundering items in hot water (temperature above 120°F for 20 to 30 minutes) kills all stages of bed bug. |
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Bedbug Pictures |
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| An adult bedbug can grow up to a few millimetres long and as flat as a credit card |
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Bedbugs will pierce the skin and feed for upto 7-10 minutes |
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| Baby bedbugs are called nymphs and are almost see-through, until they have fed! |
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Bites mainly occur in the early hours of the morning, bedbugs aren’t slow will walk several metres to their host! |
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| Signs of bedbugs, ensure you inspect carpet edges especially around the head section around the bed |
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Droppings are a clear indication of an infestation, inspect matteress edges, folds and bed frame |
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| Bedbugs don’t live solely on the mattress, divan beds that are hollow need to be torn open (from the underside) and inspected |
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Ensure to check bedside tables and furniture near and around the bed, especially in the cracks and crevices |
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| A good way to monitor for bedbugs is to wrap the legs of the bed in double sided sticky tape or around the bottom of the mattress (ensure tape is removable without causing damage to your bed) |
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