FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I’ve got bed bugs – what should I do?

Once you are certain you have bed bugs, doing nothing isn’t really an option as they lay several eggs a day and a small infestation will quickly become a significant outbreak. Not doing anything will also lead to you and your loved ones being continually bitten in their sleep and this very commonly leads to loss of sleep, and psychological problems. The longer an infestation is left to develop, the harder it will be to treat, so the important thing is to make contact with us straight away. We offer a free, no-obligation consultation service and we will advise you on the best approach for you, depending on the history of the infestation and your circumstances. The quicker you contact us, the cheaper it will be to treat effectively. Call us now on 01832 770483 or 0207 416 6671.

Is there anything I can do myself?

In terms of eradicating a bed bug outbreak it’s extremely unlikely that you will be able to do it yourself without the help of a specialist pest control service that has a great deal of experience in dealing with bed bug infestations. However, there are several steps you can take to gain some level of control yourself. The use of BED BUG MATTRESS ENCASEMENTS will take away one of the main harbourage points for bed bugs immediately. Once these bug proof mattress protectors are fitted, any bed bugs and eggs on the mattress can no longer get out to bite you. If you are throwing a mattress infested with bed bugs away and buying a new one, you really should consider buying a mattress encasement to keep your new mattress protected. Our Cimexine SureGuard mattress protectors and pillow protectors are cool, comfortable and 100% waterproof too, so protect your mattress from spillages and accidents as well and keep it pristine. We are also able to offer quick-check BED BUG MONITORS and licensed BED BUG SPRAYS that you are able to use in our online shop.

What are common mistakes with bed bug infestations?

Many customers we deal with make the mistake of thinking that throwing away the bedroom furniture and the bed will get rid of the bed bug problem. This is commonly a disastrous move as dragging a bed, mattress or other item infested with bed bugs around a property will almost always spread the problem around it. If you are throwing out your bed or mattress, you must bag and seal it before moving it. We can provide you with suitable sealable mattress disposal bags and sealable bed disposal bags for all sizes of beds for this purpose – call us now to order on 01832 770483 or 0207 416 6671. You will find lots of DIY tactics for dealing with bed bug outbreaks online, but the truth is they don’t work, and while they are not working, the bugs are laying eggs and the problem will be getting worse. Bed bugs are hard to kill even if you have all the armoury at the disposal of a professional pest controller. For a quotation, Contact Us.

What is bed bug heat treatment?

The beauty of bed bug heat treatment is that is kills bugs in all their stages – adults, larvae, pupae and crucially the eggs. Heat treatment kills by denaturing the proteins and enzymes essential for the insect to survive and, unlike with pesticides, the bugs cannot build up resistance to it. When done correctly, the heat penetrates all the hard-to-reach cracks and crevices that the bugs like to live in. It is very important that this process is carried out by qualified and experienced professionals. We understand the need to be as inconspicuous as possible during the process. Temperature must be brought up slowly and maintained for long enough to be fully effective. We use numerous temperature sensors attached to a wireless data logger to ensure the heat penetrates fully. We are so confident in this approach that our treatments are GUARANTEED to get rid of the problem. With domestic premises we offer a 24-week guarantee and with commercial operations a 12-week guarantee, which kicks in following a 14 day settling in period and which is activated on production of live evidence (a picture or video of a live bed bug). The other advantages of heat treatment include that there is no need to dispose of any valuable furniture or furnishings, and rooms can be re-opened straight away. For a quotation, Contact Us

Do you treat other bugs?

We treat all kinds of bugs in all kinds of environments, both domestic and business. Moths, beetles, weevils, fleas, mites, cockroaches and many more pests can be effectively dealt with using heat treatment and usually the same guarantee applies. The approach is highly adaptable and usually we can find a solution no matter how initially difficult it may seem. Our technicians have come up with solutions in numerous environments, from food manufacturing to flour mills; care homes to hospitals; cinemas to museums; schools to silos and many more. They have successfully treated many problems with many types of product that have come about through importation, without damaging the product. The usual modus operandi following an initial enquiry and consultation with is for us to organise an on-site survey, before coming back to you with a recommendation and quotation.

What if we only have a problem in one room?

One of the problems with heat treatment is the expense. Many pest control companies will only facilitate heat treatment if they treat a whole block of rooms, and costs can quickly spiral out of control. We recognise that if you are able to spot the problem early, bed bugs can be very localised. As a result of this we offer small scale treatments with costs worked out on a room by room basis. However, note that we always insist on at least treating the rooms either side of where the bugs have been found (minimum three rooms). Note that we make sure that the treatment is done as inconspicuously as possible so as not to alarm guests.

How do you know bed bugs are resistant to the chemicals used against them?

In 2014 we commissioned one of the most extensive independent tests into the chemicals used against bed bugs ever carried out. The research was done by Richard Naylor of the Bed Bug Foundation. The purpose was initially to find out what the best current products were on real bugs from the field. Richard devised and completed a series of knock-down and residual tests which were done on strains of bed bugs collected from the field. He tested over 40 products, many of them which are HSE licensed to ‘kill bed bugs in all their stages’. It quickly became apparent that there was huge resistance to the chemicals being used against bed bugs, even in doses much higher than is recommended or even legal. The results even surprised Richard, an internationally respected expert in the field of bed bugs. The conclusion after several months was clear. Bed bugs are highly resistant to most of the products being used against them, and the problem can only get worse. Hence we concluded that if at all possible, heat treatment is the way forward.

Do you use any chemicals?

As outlined, our research has shown that bed bugs from the field have built up a huge amount of resistance to the chemicals that can be used against them. Most of the pyrethrin based products that are licenced to kill bed bugs do not work on today’s strains. However, we realise that there are circumstances where heat treatment may not be viable or practical. Our tests have indicated that there are two (and only two) professional products currently on the market in the UK that do still appear to have a significant effect on these resistant bugs. When these two are used in tandem, this approach can still be very effective at gaining rapid control over a bed bug outbreak and we are still happy to recommend it. Where heat treatment is not an option, we can advise you on these products and as qualified pest controllers we are able to administer them for you.