One particular insect that doesn’t seem to be put off by the weather, is bed bugs. Many people automatically think that they can only get these little ‘invaders’ from being dirty, or having an unclean home. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Bed bugs usually hitch a ride when we stay in an infected hotel room, whether it’s a 2-Star or 5-Star. This is far more common than you would ever think. The amount of calls we get from customers who have brought an ‘unwelcome guest’ from a holiday or work-related travel is staggering and on the increase.

How to beat the bed bugs

Bed bugs have also been known to infect public transport or even aircraft, but hotels tend to be the biggest culprit.

Some helpful tips to stay bed bug-free are:

• When you check into your hotel room, leave your luggage in the bathroom (this is usually a tiled or vinyl floor)
• Go directly to the bed and pulling back the sheets, check the mattress at the headboard end of the bed
• Look for small/pinhead size dark reddish brown spots on the mattress (when the Bed Bug takes a blood feed on us, it will excrete a small amount of blood)
• Look for blood spots (larger than above described) on the mattress, this would also indicate bed bug activity
• NEVER PUT YOUR CASE/LUGGAGE UNDER THE BED. Use the luggage racks where possible, remember the bed is the high risk area
• If you find evidence that the room shows signs of infestation, ask for another room

Treatment for bed bugs can be expensive and intrusive due to the fact that it has to be very thorough.

Enjoy your holiday or break. Try and stay bed bug free. Don’t have nightmares!

As for spring time, we have seen the first ants and bees of the season and only time will tell if it’s going to be warm enough for a busy wasp, flea, ant and insect season. Just remember, vigilance is key.

However don’t be a hero. We have had some horror stories with people trying to tackle wasp nests on their own. Take the ‘sting’ out of that job! Call the Pest Doctor on 07525 442564 to help.