Bed Bugs Increase

Bed bugs

A bed bug infestation is never something anyone wants. A bad infestation can cause people to move out of their homes and cause great discomfort when they bite you. Interestingly, there appears to have been a massive increase in bed bug reports over the past 2 years especially in the Margate area. 

Below you will find some helpful tips on how to identify bed bugs and what to do if you have some in your home.

-Bed bugs are small oval shaped insects that lay tiny white eggs. They do not grow very big at all, even at adulthood. 

-They are yellow, red or brown in colouring depending on what stage of development they are. Whilst they are growing, they shed their shells.

-They have a preference for fabrics so a nice cosy bedsheet/mattress is a perfect location for them to settle down and reproduce. 

-If you do have an infestation, you will be able to smell a musty scent where bed bugs are. 

-You may spy some blood spots on your sheets, this happens if you squash a bed bug once they have just had a blood meal. 

-When they feed, they bite into your skin, which can leave red, itchy blotches, however, their bites are painless. 

-The after effects will usually fade within a few days. Interestingly though, once bitten by a bed bug it can take up to 2 weeks to experience a reaction. Everyone reacts differently, some may have a mild reaction, some a more serious one. 

If you think you may have bed bugs in your home, please give us a call. We can help!

Avoid these biting insects

Insect Warning - Avoid These Insects

No one likes having to deal with pests. Even less so when they bite you and cause pain! Below you will find a little information about four common pests that you would want to avoid if you can. 

Hornets

These are the most painful stingers in the UK. They can sting repeatedly and will do so if they feel threated or aggravated. Hornets’ venom is more powerful that a wasps which is why hornet stings hurt a lot more than any wasp/bee/mosquito. Also with the report of the Asian hornet being sighted in the UK, best practice is to keep calm and avoid them where possible.

            What do they look like?

                        -Hornets are larger than our native wasps

-They are dark brown at the core of their body with bright yellow/orange stripes at the base of the tail end

-They have orange eyes

Wasps

Although smaller than hornets, the wasp sting can still cause enough pain to make you feel uncomfortable. Again, they do so when they feel threatened and can even release pheromones during an ‘attack’ as to alert other wasps to come and lend a hand to destroy the threat. Their bright yellow and black striped bodies are nature’s way of saying ‘stay away, I am dangerous’.

            What do they look like?

                        -Wasps are smaller than hornets, usually less than an inch long

                        -They have black and yellow stripes across their bodies

Mosquitos

They are tiny insects but can cause great annoyance! Their stinger is more of a bloody sucking tool. They love human blood and so will do all they can to get some. Even if they are not successful when they sting you and so unable to get any blood, their saliva causes intense itching!

            What do they look like?

                        -Mosquitos are small insects

                        -They have a hunched back appearance 

                        -Brown/black colouring

Horse Flies

Only female horse flies bite as they require a blood meal before reproduction. Horse flies, unlike other stinging insects previously mentioned, actually want to sting you. They will fly at you and follow your persistently. They can even bite through your clothes. Their persistence and hard bite means they are definitely ones to avoid!

            What do they look like?

                        -They are larger than wasps

                        -They have very large eyes

                        -They are brown/black in colouring

What can you do?

Best advice for most of these pests is to avoid them where possible. Hornets and wasps create nests as they are social insects. If you think that you have a nest in your garden or in your house, please do not try and remove them yourself. We would suggest you give us a call and we can advise you on the best course of action.

https://www.sospestcontrol.co.uk/contact-us.php