Bed Bugs
Appearance
Bed bugs are oval flat insects approximately 5mm in length. They are light brown in appearance when unfed, changing to a deep purple immediately after the ingestion of a blood meal. Adults are wingless and flat, unless recently fed.
|Back to topWhere to find them
Bed bugs hide by day in cracks and crevices in beds, furniture, wallpaper, skirting boards and electrical fittings. One reason why bed bug infestations are so difficult to eradicate is that they are highly resistant to low temperatures and capable of surviving for up to eighteen months without food.
|Back to topDisease risk and damage
There are no specific diseases associated with bed bugs and their importance is related mostly to the unpleasant irritation following their bites. The itchiness and swelling occurs due to the saliva that the bedbug injects into the host to prevent the blood from clotting. A severe bed bug infestation may result in sleep disturbance to the host and is extremely unpleasant. Heavy infestations are characterised by a sweet almond type odour.
Control
Bed bugs can be very difficult to eradicate however control may be achieved by the use of powerful broadband insecticides. Such insecticides are only available for professional use, therefore unless the infestation is minimal the use of a reputable professional pest control team is advisable. When spraying with insecticide particular attention is paid to the bed frames, skirting boards, wall switches and any cracks or crevices in which the bedbugs are likely to be hiding.
It is extremely important to recognise that the eradication of bedbugs is not achieved immediately after a course of treatment. The bed bugs hide deep within harbourages in inaccessible areas. Therefore the bed bug will only come into contact with the insecticide when it emerges to feed. The bed bug will only emerge to feed if it senses the presence of a blood meal. It is the carbon dioxide that humans exhale coupled with the warmth of the body that draws the bedbug out of its harbourage.
For this reason it is recommended that people sleep in affected rooms after they have been treated. Otherwise the bedbug will not emerge from its harbourage and so will not come into contact with the insecticide.
|Back to topCost of treatment
£221 (based on 3 Rooms) for Domestic Rate Clients who do not qualify for Means Tested Benefits.
£242 (Based on 3 Rooms) for Commercial Rate Clients and Landlords requesting the Service.
£53 For each Additional Rooms required
£31 (Based on 3 Rooms) for Concession Rate Clients who do qualify for the Specified Means Tested Benefits.
£31 for each Additional Room for Concession Rate Clients
A course of treatment consists of two appointment dates,four weeks apart. Two working days notice must be given if you wish to cancel an appointment. If you fail to give Two working days notice or miss an appointment and wish to re-book, a further charge will be made of:
- £31 For Domestic and Commercial Rate Clients
- £18 For Concession Rate Clients.
Contacts
We are here to help and advise so if you are unsure about a subject or wish to arrange a treatment, please contact us.
Monday - Friday 9am to 5pm
Tel 020 8489 1000 (Pest Control - Customer Care Line)
Address
Pest Control Team
Enforcement Response
Urban Environment
Units 271-272
Lee Valley Technopark
Ashley Road
Tottenham
N17 9LN
Fax 020 8489 5133
