Bed Control Services in London

Bed Bug Control | London | Essex | Kent | Guaranteed
Here is some additional bed bug information from my website.  Here you can find more about how to have bed bugs removed from your property by EPB Control.

How to prepare for a treatment.

Having a bed bug extermination treatment can be daunting in itself. I see the effects it can have on people when people contact me for advice or treatments. When the pest controller tells you all the measures you need to take before the treatments can commence is nearly enough to push some people over the edge. 

However, it needn't be to much to worry about as long as you follow the instructions given to you by your pest control company. I should ad, if they have given you none and are booked in to do a treatment, you may want to cancel with them before you go any further!

What you really want to remember when preparing for a treatment is to make the areas that are to be treated as clear and accessible as possible for the technician but also being careful not to move and spread the problem to other rooms. Be as cautious as possible as it only takes a few eggs moved on an item to another part of the house to cause on going problems. 

Eggs are small and easy to miss.

EPB Control, myself that is, will always give the following instructions and if you follow these, you wont go far wrong. 

How to prepare for a treatment:

• Empty bed side units, wardrobes, chest of draws, furniture in bedroom - All clothing into bags, tied and sealed, washed, bags thrown straight out of property. Books, paper work, items in bedside table checked for signs of bugs and eggs. Place in empty bath and shake and inspect.
• Items under bed checked thoroughly as they are likely to have bugs and eggs on. Dispose of anything that you are willing to if heavily infested.
• Bedding - Bagged and washed. 
• Furniture - Pulled away from the wall six inches.
• Personal items - Ensure floor is clear of anything valuable or that could be in the way.
• If you have been on holiday, travelling, cases may have eggs in them.
• If you hoover, empty the hoover straight away. 

If you have items under the bed that cannot be treated, such as expensive shoes, leather bags, Toys or such like, and there are signs of bugs under there and eggs, then you either need to spend a long time checking them over or simply place them into a tied sealed bag (must be sealed) and place them in your garden shed if you have one, or an outside storage area. 

Only do this if you can bear not to use these items for a long period of time, have somewhere suitable to store them that they will not be damaged by the weather and are adamant on keeping them. Always use common sense. Bed bugs will die eventually through lack of food, blood, and young bed bugs need many feeds to moult. If you decide to do this, I would recommend leaving items there for greater than 7 months.

Do not- Take items from one room to another that is not being treated without checking them over first. If you have a good pest controller then just ask him if he can assist you in checking some personal items you are worried about. I often arrive at a property earlier to help people do this. I can walk into a room that someone says there are no bed bugs and find them, eggs and excrement in a minute. This is because I do it daily and no the signs. It is always best to seek professional assistance. 

I hope this information is of use, if you would like any more advice you can contact me through my website http://www.essexpestcontrolandbirdcontrol.co.uk/bed-bugs-advicehttp://www.essexpestcontrolandbirdcontrol.co.uk/bed-bugs-advice and I also have a you tube channel if you would like to see some more videos of bed bugs - Darren Groves Channel. 

Eggs from a bed bug

Good, clear picture of some bed bug eggs on a wooden slat that would support the mattress. A common area for bed bug activity.

For more pictures of bed bugs or videos see my website EPB Control or my you tube channel which has various different videos of bed bugs, eggs, excrement as well as cockroaches. 

Bed bugs and eggs on bed frame.

These pictures from EPB Control show bed bugs and their eggs.

Bed bug eggs are the main concern when carrying out treatments as they can lay them on a range of items within the infested area and if not identified and removed could mean various treatments are required.

Any personal items stored under the bed are likely to have eggs on them and will require a thorough inspection.

Bed bug video

Watch "Bed bugs on box bed and wall." on YouTube

Video of bed bugs on from Essex Pest Control and Bird Control, you can also find various other videos of bed bugs as well as cockroaches on our pest control videos page. 

More videos will be coming soon.

Bed Bug Images

By Essex Pest Control and Bird Control

One thing I am always being asked as a bed bug exterminator is what do bed bugs look like. So, I thought I would do a post with some pictures.

Bed bugs may not always be easy to find, it really depends on the level of an infestation. If you do think you have an infestation of bed bugs it is best to call in a professional pest control company to deal with the issue early. If you wish to learn more about treatments see bed bug treatments, what do to.

 

Also here are some bed bug videos that may assist you in identification. 

And another which clearly shows bed bug eggs on part of the support for the mattress. 

A female bed bug can spread her eggs far, over the bed frame, skirting boards, book shelves or the rear of pictures above a bed. If you have a major infestation of bed bugs and find eggs, it would be best to remove any items that are not essential to keep. Boxes under a bed, books and such like are more common areas to find eggs. 

Have you ever?

Have You Ever?

Here I am going to ask the question that you probably wouldn't admit to if you friend asked you in person, but for here it is fine as no one will know who answers. 

I am interested to know the circumstances people are coming into contact with bed bugs with, or maybe not, as I am hearing many stories lately of people seeing them on public transport, at schools (where I, EPB Control have done inspections) and in other strange places.

Although not unusual to find them in strange places and places other than the bedroom, it just seems to be more common now.

Please take a moment to do the poll, and also leave any comments on the post if you wish. As you know from my previous posts such as Bed Bug Treatments What To Do or Where To Find Bed Bugs  I try to be as informative as possible and now I would like some feed back which will help me with my upcoming post.

Have you ever come into contact with bed bugs?

Thank you for taking the time to take the poll, please take a look at some of my other posts and feel free to share. 

Bed Bug Facts and Tips

Bed Bug Facts and Tips

Welcome to this post from Essex Pest Control and Bird Control on bed bugs. Here we are going to go over some bed bug facts and some tips that may be useful to know.

If you think you may have bed bugs some of this information may come in useful. Understanding bed bugs will help in removing them and preventing them. 

The information I am sharing is fact but I will also give you some tips that I have discovered during all my years in pest control and carrying out several bed bug treatments weekly. 

Okay lets start with some facts on bed bugs.

Bed Bugs UK

Bed Bugs UK This is another post by Essex Pest Control and Bird Control but on my on site blog posts. This blog covers Bed bugs, Rats, Mice, Cockroaches as well as proofing and other general pest control information that I think may be useful to people. It also has some videos on there of insects.

There are also several other blog posts on there such as Treatments and others.

Please go over and take a look and maybe if you find something you like or you feel is useful share it with others.

More posts will be coming soon.

Thanks

Bed Bugs - Bed Bug Excrement - Extreme

Bed bugs can clearly be seen walking around the mattress and the black marking visible are excrement marks that have built up from an extremely high infestation that has been present for some time.

Essex Pest Control and Bird Control 

Bed Bug Eggs

Essex Pest Control and Bird Control

Bed bug eggs are one of the most difficult things to deal with in fully removing an infestation of bed bugs. This is due to their size, the places a female bed bug will lay them and the amount she can lay.

The chances are that if someone is suffering an infestation of bed bugs then there are likely to be eggs present. The longer the problem is in place, the greater the risk of eggs. 

What do bed bug eggs look like? In the picture below you can see the eggs, white, small and oval.

Bed Bug Treatments - What To Do

I am writing this post to give some advice, and what to do as well as what not to do when having bed bug treatments.

After attending a property today in London for a bed bug treatment, I was disappointed to see the condition of the rooms when the tenants were aware of what time I was attending.

Now, I usually give advice on bed bug symptoms or where to find bed bugs and just assumed that people were aware, and I should point out that I clearly state what needs to be done before hand, of what state the rooms should be in for when I arrive.

Bed bug information

Extreme bed bug case

Essex Pest Control and Bird Control have noticed a big increase in the number of London bed bug calls year on year over the last four years. This is because worldwide, including the UK, bed bugs are on the increase as is the bed bug pest control industry. 

All the time I have people ask me, Darren, how did I get these bed bugs? What do bed bug bites look like? Or How can I find Bed Bugs if I have them? (See bug videos if you are not sure what they look like)

Bugs and Eggs behind wallpaper

Bed Bugs are infesting everywhere from Libraries, hotels, hostels, residential apartment complexes to schools. This is a pest on the rampage across London and the UK, I know, I am fighting them in people's properties!

Understanding the signs of the bed bug helps and will limit the risk of spreading them. I am to start trying to assist in educating people on them. Here goes. 

How did I get these bed bugs?

To start with, contrary to popular belief, it isn't always a hygiene issue when you get this pest.

The most popular way of getting bed bugs is from when you are travelling around the world. It is common for people to pick them up in their cases, return home, a pregnant female lays her eggs in the cases or crawls out when you put that case on top of your wardrobe (extremely common) and then lays her eggs on your furniture. Check the back of bedside units and wardrobes along the edges and corners for signs of bugs.

Bed Bugs whilst in their infant stage are translucent (almost see through to the untrained eye). This can result in an infestation not being noticed in early stages. If on the other hand you have brought back half a dozen fully grown adults, you will know about it as soon as they make their way to your bed! An adult bed bug can best be described as about the size of an apple pip, and when fed, very dark brownish/reddish in colour.

So, first bit of advice is, check cases thoroughly when returning from traveling, and where possible do not place them under the bed or on top on the furniture.

You can also pick up bed bugs from:

• Visiting or staying with friends, family if they too have them.
• Bringing furniture into your home that may have bed bugs in it.
• Hotels.
• Hostels.
• Adjoining properties that have an infestation.
• People visiting you that themselves are living somewhere that has bed bugs.

Signs Of Bed Bugs

A clear tell tale sign of bed bugs is their excrement marks. Take a look at our bed bug control page for picture of excrement marks and bed bugs in a bed. Essex Pest Control and Bird Control carry out anything up to 20 inspections per week plus treatments!

Simply, the more bed bugs present, the more excrement, the more excrement, the easier to spot. Black dots, which will turn to large black patches in extreme circumstances. So what if I only have one or two bed bugs, how do I can I find Bed Bugs? Look for blood spots on your sheets, pillow cases, dead bugs.

Look around the skirting boards, walls and slats of your bed for the excrement marks. If you only have one or two bed bugs, it will be less visible but still visible. Black dots every so many centimetres that will rub off. Usually they will be tucked into the tightest corner, crack or join.

Bed Bug bites will usually be in the form of a track, between 1 to 4, 5 or more bites in a row, usually along the arms or areas of the body outside of the duvet. They will be red, itchy and can become infected with scratching. There are however no known diseases that can be caught from bed bug bites.

What for and where should you be looking if you think you may have bed bugs?

• Excrement - black.
• Blood - on sheets.
• Dead Bugs.
• Bed Frame for excrement and bugs.
• Bedside Unit.
• Wardrobe, Chest Of Draws - joins of wood. 
• Items Under Bed.

Bed bugs will crawl into the smallest and tightest areas to lay their eggs, picture frames, ornaments, boxes, books and basically anything in and around your bed. A female bed bug can lay up to 300 eggs in her lifetime, they can also go for up to 9 months without feeding!

What to do if you think you have bed bugs

Firstly, if you think you have bed bugs, Do not waste money on self treating products from the internet. These products, like bed bug bombs can make a problem worse, although in fairness there are people that report having successfully rid themselves of bugs using powders, but in my opinion these would not be major infestations.  

Limit the moving of items around the home, they can live on pretty much anything and whatever is under or close to your bed has an increased risk of having bugs or their eggs on it - Do not spread them!

Contact a professional pest control company with experience in dealing with bed bugs, such as Essex Pest Control and Bird Control. Ask questions over the phone, what will they do, how will they do it, results, risks, visits and so on.You should also consider filling all cracks, crevices and gaps around skirting boards if you have or have had bed bugs.

Essex Pest Control and Bird Control provide bed bug pest control in London, Essex, Kent and Hertfordshire. I am going to be keeping this blog updated with pictures, videos and all sorts of information regarding bugs, resistance to chemicals and many other interesting facts I think you would like to know. Please follow and be a part of this with me. Thank you for reading.
Darren