A pest of the past? Not anymore. Bed bugs are making a comeback! Common all over the world, but the number of infestations in Victoria have been steadily increasing over the last 10 years. Bed bugs are parasitic insects of the Cimicid family that feed exclusively on blood. They lack wings, so you will not see them flying around your bedroom. Cimex lectularius, the common bed bug, is the best known as it prefers to feed on human blood!

For businesses, the presence of Bedbugs can ruin your reputation and cause serious financial loss. It can lead to negative reviews and lower customer trust in your business.

The sub-species of Bedbug which EPC- Enviro Pest Control encounters in Melbourne is the:

• Common Bedbug (Cimex lectularius)
  • Light brown to reddish-brown, flat and oval-shaped body
  • Segmented abdomens with microscopic hairs that give them a banded appearance
  • Adults grow to 4–5 mm long and 1.5–3 mm wide
  • Their mouths are pointed for piercing and sucking

Bed bugs undergo an incomplete metamorphosis during which they pass through five nymphal instars. Each of these nymphal stages needs to feed on blood before it can moult into the next stage and eventually into the adult reproductive form. Both adult males and females then need to continue to take regular blood meals in order to reproduce.

The lifespan of bed bugs varies by species and is also dependent on feeding and can vary from 50 days to over a year

• Egg
  • The female lays her eggs daily in batches of 3 or more and up to 500 over her lifetime. Eggs hatch in 1-2 weeks when the room temperature is around 23 degrees
  • Eggs measure less than 1 mm in length, and may be laid singly or in clusters of up to 50 eggs
• Nymph
  • Nymphs look like smaller versions of adults
  • The nymph must consume a blood meal before it can moult. It will moult 5 times to reach adulthood. In warmer temperatures, the nymph stage may last just 3 weeks; in cooler temperatures, nymphs may take many months to mature
  • First stage nymphs are colourless; with each moult the nymph darkens
  • The small size of the young nymphal stage makes them difficult to observe on any surface
• Adult
  • Adult bed bugs live about 10 months, though some may live substantially longer.

In early infestations, bed bugs are usually found around the seams, beading and folds of mattresses, sleeping bags and sheets. Later, as the infestation spreads, the bugs move to any tiny crevices, which may be in bed heads, skirting boards, cracks in plaster and bedroom furniture. Because of their colour, adult bed bugs can easily be spotted with the naked eye on white sheets and bedding, but very difficult to see on brown wooden floors and other dark surfaces. It’s easy to see that Bed bugs, if left untreated, can quickly multiply into not just an unmanageable infestation but also a significant risk for the health and safety of all humans and domestic pets who co-inhabit the same area.

Bed bugs often make their presence known through continuous biting and irritation.

Although you will not usually see bed bug activity during daylight hours, you may see other signs of bed bugs. As nymphs moult, they leave behind their shed skins, which accumulate as the population rises. Bed bug excrement appears as dark spots, and crushed bed bugs will leave bloody marks on bed linen.

Some people do not react to bed bug bites, while others show a delayed response (up to nine days) or an immediate response with great discomfort and loss of sleep. Intense itching of the bites can result in a secondary skin infection in severe cases.

Bed bugs will usually bite on the arms and shoulders (or any exposed, bare skin surface) which may result in small areas of swelling and itching of the skin.

Heavy bed bug infestations are often associated with a distinctive sickly sweet smell and blood spotting may be evident on mattresses and/or bedding and nearby furniture.

If you notice any insects or any signs of an infestation, take action quickly and call EPC – Enviro Pest Control

• Adult bugs are able to survive more than a year without a blood meal
• Bed bugs use pheromones and kairomones to communicate regarding nesting locations, feeding, and reproduction.
• Bed bugs can ingest seven times their own body weight in blood

If you live in Melbourne and have a Bedbug problem of any size, you should choose us to help you solve it because:

• EPC – Enviro Pest Control technicians are Trained Specialists and are very experienced at getting rid of Bedbugs
• We arrive on time!
• EPC – Enviro Pest Control technicians are discreet, friendly and professionally presented
• Fair priced service with advice to help prevent Bedbugs returning
• EPC – Enviro Pest Control’s method for pest control including Bedbugs are proven to be effective

If you have a Bedbug infestation or even just want to prevent one, call us at EPC – Enviro Pest Control us today on (03) 9988 5066.