Bed Bugs

Bed Bug Control & Pest Services in North Essex

The old saying “don’t let the bed bugs bite” has an rather obvious and literal meaning. These menacing, intelligent and resilient insects have been feeding on human blood since the dawn of time.

Archaeologists even found fossilised bed bugs in human dwellings in Egypt over 3,000 years ago! That said, they weren’t very common in the UK until the 1930s when bed bug infestations soared, but the numbers have been growing ever since. With a rusty reddish-brown appearance, bed bugs (Cimex Lectularius) are around 4 to 5mm long with mouths that are pointed for piercing skin and sucking. Though they do not spread any diseases, their bites can be very itchy with painful swelling.

How do you know if you have a bed bug infestation?

Not only are bed bugs tiny but they are also very mysterious, nocturnal creatures, willing to find refuge almost anywhere during the day, such as inside laptops, behind wallpaper, beneath upholstery, inside photo frames and between the cracks of skirting boards. That said, it’s very easy to identify an infestation and these are the most common signs:

• Bites – often on exposed areas whilst sleeping like the face, neck, legs and arms, causing itchy red bumps on the skin.
• Speckles of blood on your bedding. These marks will usually be from the bite or from squashing a bedbug.
• Small brown spots can also be found on bedding or furniture, and this comes from bedbug poo.
• Bed bugs release strong pheromones, so it is possible to locate them by following their musty and sweet odour.

It’s important to understand that treating bed bugs is a complex procedure, but North Essex Pest Control has decades of experience removing entire bed bug colonies, whilst we prevent infestations from reoccurring. Our dependable pest services are available throughout North Essex, including Colchester, Tiptree, Lexden, Mersea and Marks Tey, Rowhedge, Fingringhoe, Peldon, Langinghoe, Fordham and Copford – whilst we’re available 7 days a week. So if you’ve just noticed mini blood stains on your pillow or have woken up to itchy red bites, it’s important to take action and soon as possible because bed bug infestations can get out of control very quickly.

If you’d like to learn more about us and our expert approach to removing these tenacious creatures, please call our friendly today on 01206 700 644 or 07487 351 351.

Fun facts about bed bugs

• These teeny insects can have as many as 4,000 babies in a six-month period, whilst they mature to mating age in less than a month.
• When living in warm conditions, bed bugs will usually try to feed at regular intervals, yet adult bed bugs have been known to survive months without food.
• They’ve also been known to survive temperatures of nearly freezing to over 50°C.
• When they feed, they cunningly inject your skin with saliva to prevent the blood from clotting, whilst they introduce an anesthetic so that you do not feel the bite.