Bed Bugs

A Global Plague?

Bed Bugs are found throughout the world and are becoming more common in New Zealand, particularly where there is a large turnover of visitors; places such as backpackers, hotels and motels. But you are also at risk in your home.

Bed Bugs are small (3-5mm), oval, wingless parasitic insects. When they have recently fed they will be reddish brown but when they haven’t fed for some time they will be pale and almost translucent.

Bed Bugs hide in cracks and crevices during the day and come out at night to feed on blood. They are attracted to the food source by body heat and carbon dioxide from our breath. They feed by using their hypodermic like mouth parts to penetrate the skin. They then inject 'saliva' which contains anaesthetic so you don't detect the bug and anti-coagulant proteins to stop your blood clotting. It is these proteins that cause itchy inflammation reactions and reddened marks in many people.

The Bed Bug is wingless and therefore likely to be found near to where the host sleeps; in the mattress or bed frame, behind wallpaper, in spaces behind skirting, seams of curtains, electrical sockets, under the edge of carpets and in furniture.

Because they ingest up to seven times their body own weight in blood in one feed, they can survive long periods between feeding. After mating takes place, Bed Bugs will lay up to 200 eggs. The nymphs that hatch out are miniature versions of the adult. There is no larval stage. The nymphs will moult several times over a period of 6-18 months before becoming an adult.

Bed Bugs are notoriously difficult to get rid of because they hide so well and there is evidence that they have become resistant to some insecticides. However, they can be controlled with thoroughness and persistence.

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

Control of bed bugs requires a four pronged attack.

Control of bed bugs requires very thorough examination and treatment of all the possible places where they might hide. Bed Bugs leave tell-tale blackened smears of blood which look like ticks made with a black pen.

1. Check around seams of mattresses, bed base, bed heads, curtains and other furniture.
2. Check around the edges of carpets, behind skirting, edges of wallpaper and picture frames and in all other crevices within the room and adjacent rooms.
3. Electrical sockets are common places for bed bugs to infest. Ensure that electrical sockets are only checked when power is switched off at the main power switch board.
4. Check sub floors and roof voids.
5. Carefully collect all bedding from the affected rooms.
6. Place bedding in a plastic bag for transport to your washing machine, being careful to make sure no insects are dropped on the way.
7. If possible wash the clothes in a 'hot wash'. Clothing and bedding that cannot be washed in a hot wash can be bagged and placed in a freezer at -20C for at least 24 hours.
8. Dismantle the bed and other furniture. Open cupboards and drawers and lean the bed mattress and bed base upright against a wall in the room to improve exposure to the spray and vapour.
9. Make up NO Fleas Total spray with concentrate using clean water in a clean sprayer.
10. Spray all areas where signs of infestation are found and all cracks crevices and seams with NO Fleas Total spray. This product contains a residual insecticide and a growth regulator which will make females lay sterile eggs and help prevent young bed bugs reaching maturity.
11. Vacate the room/s and allow spray to dry for several hours.
12. Return to the room/s and release a NO Bugs Borafume Fumigator.
13. Follow the directions on the side of the fumigator. The fumigant produced will kill adult bed bugs and penetrate into areas that cannot be treated directly. It will also flush the bed bugs out of hiding places so that they come in contact with sprayed surfaces.
14. Keep room/s sealed for as long as possible, up to 24 hours.
15. If the Bed Bug infestation has become established it may be necessary to repeat this treatment.

Note: You cannot be too thorough.

If the Bed Bug infestation has become established it may be necessary to repeat this treatment.

Prevent Bed Bug Infestations in the Future

If you have had an infestation it is important to continue preventative treatment for 3 months after the last sighting of a bed bug. Consider how the bed bugs could have been introduced; luggage? Boxes, furniture or other material brought into the area from other premises? Check these and treat with NO Bugs Super or NO Fleas Total.

In high risk places such as hotels, motels, backpackers, and other places people congregate to sleep it is wise to routinely carry out a search for signs of bed bugs so that treatment can be carried out promptly. It may be appropriate to carry out preventative treatment on a regular basis (every two months) where there is high turnover of travelling people who might have come in contact with bed bugs elsewhere.

Always follow the instructions on the products carefully. 

NO BUGS BORAFUME FUMIGATOR

This fumigator is activated by a reaction between water and the chemical inside the Borafume fumigator.  The fumigator will kill borer ‘on the wing’ and other crawling / flying insects, including bed bugs, present at the time of its activation.  Borafume is especially good at flushing out and killing cockroaches.  For long term control, follow up with a Kiwicare No Borer residual treatment.

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NO FLEAS TOTAL CONCENTRATE

NO Fleas Total is the complete solution for Flea control and control of other difficult insect pests such as Bed Bugs.  This product breaks the breeding cycle by killing adults, eggs and larvae. Any female insects that have come in contact with NO Fleas Total, but not yet died will only lay sterile eggs.  NO Fleas Total provides indoor control of fleas, bed bugs, cockroaches and other insect pests for up to 4 months. Dilute with water to make a cost effective, easy to use spray.

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NO FLEAS TOTAL READY TO USE SPRAY

The Trigger pack has all the benefits of No Fleas concentrate but requires no mixing and is ready to use. It is ideal to have on hand for ‘spot infestations’.

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NO BUGS SUPER PROFESSIONAL STRENGTH

This stronger than normal residual insecticide is used by professionals to control pest insects and spiders in more difficult situations.

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Kiwicare - Yellow How to Guide