bed bugs

HOW TO CONTROL BED BUGS

To get rid of bed bugs follow these steps:

1. Search > Thoroughly check all seams, cracks and joins around beds, curtains, carpet edges, skirting boards, picture frames, electrical sockets and other furniture in the affected and adjacent rooms. Evidence of bed bugs can include adult bugs (3-5mm), nymphs (small as 1mm), blood smears that look like tiny black ‘ticks’ or ‘crosses’.
2. Wash > If possible 'hot wash' (60C for 40 min) all clothing and bedding from affected rooms. Items that cannot be washed in a ‘hot wash’ can be bagged and placed in a freezer at -20C for at least 24 hours.  Place bedding in a plastic bag for transport to your washing machine, being careful to make sure no insects are dropped on the way.
3. Eliminate > Use Kiwicare NO BED BUGS BOX containing NO BED BUGS spray concentrate and NO BUGS BORAFUME fumigator. 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. Spray all areas where signs of infestation are found and all other possible hiding places with NO BED BUGS spray. Vacate the room/s and allow spray to dry for several hours. NO BED BUGS spray lasts up to 3 months killing adult bed bugs, making female bed bugs lay sterile eggs and preventing young bed bugs reaching maturity.
4. Stop – Use a NO BUGS BORAFUME fumigator to kill adult bed bugs and penetrate into areas that cannot be treated directly. Follow the directions on the side of the fumigator. It will also flush the bed bugs out of hiding places so that they come in contact with sprayed surfaces. Keep room/s sealed for as long as possible, up to 24 hours. If the Bed Bug infestation has become established it may be necessary to repeat this treatment.
5. Clean > Thoroughly vacuum all parts of the house where the bed bugs have been found. Dispose of the vacuum bag immediately by sealing in a plastic bag and placing in bin outside.
6. Prevent > Use NO BED BUGS spray every 2-3 months to prevent bed bugs returning.

Check out how to identify bite marks here.

About

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 (us) 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 about 50% of people they bite. Many of those with bed bug infestations may not be aware of the presence of a bed bugs because they have no reaction to the bites. The first sign of infestation my be blood or bed bug faeces marks (like a tick with a black ballpoint pen) on sheets, find the bugs themselves hiding in seams or when some susceptible person in the house is bitten. There is currently no evidence that bed bugs transmit disease even though pathogens have been found in their gut.

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 own body 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.

It is not true that bed bugs are a sign of a 'dirty' home. bed bugs will infest the cleanest home, hotel, motel or backpackers. They are easily transported in luggage and other items moved from one sleeping place to another.

Did you know?

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, persistence and a combination of products.

The NO BED BUGS TOTAL SOLUTION BOX contains all you need to get rid of a bed bug infestation and the NO BED BUGS ready to use trigger spray is ideal for protecting you and your luggage during travel.

Kiwicare Bed Bug Experts on National TV

See David Brittain (Technical Manager) on TV3 Campbell Live helping an Auckland family with their bed bug infestation.

See Martin Carson (Chief Chemist) on TVNZ Morning Show discussing bed bugs and how to prevent an infestation or how to get rid of them if you have been unlucky enough to have brought them home with you.

• Bug, Insect, Spider?
• Mixing and Diluting Spray Concentrates
• Other Risks from Bugs
• Integrated Pest Management
• How to Avoid Stings and Bites

Tips

Bed Bugs in Luggage > Bed bugs are often accidentally transported in luggage and clothing. While travelling always check and shake clothes before packing. A light spray of luggage with NO BED BUGS will help prevent your luggage becoming the transport for unwanted hitchhikers.

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 BED BUGS or NO FLEAS TOTAL. Clear away clutter in rooms that might provide hiding places for bed bugs. Seal and fill cracks and crevices where bed bugs might find shelter, taking care not to leave spaces where they can hide more difficult to treat.

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.

*Second hand furniture is a common way for bed bugs to be unknowingly moved from one home to another. If you are considering buying any used furniture, or you have purchased some recently, check it carefully and consider treating it with NO BED BUGS spray as a preventative measure.

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