|
 |
These
tiny insects, 4 - 5mm long, shun the light. During
the day, they hide in cracks, crevices, furniture,
bedsteads, mattresses, behind wallpaper, skirting
boards, etc. These harbourages are also their breeding
places. The male, female and young nymphs are all
blood-suckers. |
These
tiny insects, 4 - 5mm long, shun the light. During the
day, they hide in cracks, crevices, furniture, bedsteads,
mattresses, behind wallpaper, skirting boards, etc. These
harbourages are also their breeding places. The male,
female and young nymphs are all blood-suckers. They hide
in cracks and crevices close to their sleeping hosts,
such as in the bedroom. A sign of bedbug infestation is
the unpleasant odour they emit. Another is the speckled
appearance of their faecal deposits. Bedbugs come out
of their hiding places at night and bite humans, as well
as other mammals like mice, rats or poultry. The bedbug
takes between 3 to 15 minutes to engorge themselves with
blood. The bite produces a hard swelling, whitish in colour
and causes severe irritation. After feeding, they crawl
back to their hiding places where they usually crowd together.
CONTROL
1. To prevent infestation, maintain
high standards of housekeeping and hygiene.
2. Cracks and crevices should be sealed so that the bedbugs
are denied places to hide and breed.
3. For bad infestations, these hiding places (which are
usually difficult to access) need to be treated professionally
with a residual insecticide. Depending on the type of
treatment, bedding and mattresses must be thoroughly aired
before they are re-used.
4. Rooms in the tropics must be treated early in the day,
so that they will be dry and fit for re-entry in the evening.
5. To effectively solve the problem, it is best to seek
SWAT Pest Control.
|
