Bedbugs are small blood-sucking creatures that live in the cracks and crevices in and around beds, and feast on us as we sleep. Bedbugs aren’t dangerous and don’t spread disease, but the bites can be itchy and painful and these uninvited guests can cause stress and anxiety when they infest our homes.
LIFECYCLE OF A BEDBUG
Here is you accountability list. This is what is expected of you to ensure you live a bedbug-free life. • Wash all your bedding (sheets, pillow cases etc) on a weekly basis • Vacuum the whole property on a weekly basis • Keep property neat and tidy (weekly tidy recommended) • Empty waste/waste bins in external waste bins every 2-3 days • Do not allow unwashed clothing to build up. Wash weekly • Vacuum mattress/head board and bed-frame on a monthly basis • Conduct a monthly deep clean including a thorough vacuum on floors and in and around bed area (empty vacuum in to waste bin)
To combat Bedbugs, it’s good to understand their lifecycle. • Simply put, they move from: egg, nymph, adult. • Bedbugs lay between 4-5 small white eggs, which appear in straight lines clustered together. These are glued into places like cracks and crevices around the bed. • Eggs take 6-10 days to hatch, in temperatures of 13C and above. • Nymphs are lighter in colour, gradually darkening as they get older. As they feed and grow, they shed their skin (exoskeleton). This can happen 5 times before becoming an adult. • As an adult bedbug, they can live up to a year – even without feeding.
WHAT THEY EAT
• Blood – Bedbugs are parasites that live on the blood of mammals. • They mostly feast on humans, but can also feed on cats, dogs and rodents. • They feed nightly or weekly – as often as the host is present. When they do feed, it’s for 10 minutes at a time. During this time, they can actually double, triple or quadruple in size. Once they’ve finished feeding, they’ll creep back to a hidden crevice to wait until the next feed.
And finally - if you see anything or think you are being bitten - please report ASAP
WHERE THEY LIVE
LIFE CYCLE OF THE BED BUG
Bedbugs live in the crevices and joints of your mattress and furniture. To find them, you’ll need to check: • Headboards • Mattress seams • Divan beds – between the interconnecting beds • Slats of the bed • Behind the skirting board • Behind the wallpaper
Egg (1mm long).
First Stage Larva (1.5mm long) Takes a blood meal then molts.
Second Stage Larva (2mm long) Takes a blood meal then molts.
Third Stage Larva (2.5mm long) Takes a blood meal then molts.
HOW TO SPOT YOU’VE GOT A BEDBUG PROBLEM
Bedbugs live in the crevices and joints of your mattress and furniture. To find them, you’ll need to check: • Sightings – small bugs or tiny white eggs in the crevices of your mattress, headboard, divan bed etc • Bites on your skin – these are red blotches, often in a line, which are itchy. • Tiny black spots on your mattress – this could be their dried excrement. • Mottled Bedbug shells – also called exoskeletons. Bedbugs shed their skin as they grow. • Smell – unpleasant musty smell in your bedroom.
Fourth Stage Larva (3mm long) Takes a blood meal then molts.
Fifth Stage Larva (4.5mm long) Takes a blood meal then molts.
Adult (5.5mm long) Takes repeated blood meals over several weeks. Females lay up to 5 eggs per day, continuously.
Note Bed bugs take 3-10 minutes to complete feeding.
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