Photo: istockphoto.comBed bugs (or Cimex lectularius) are persistent, pervasive, and proficient at escaping human attempts to kill them. While they do not transmit disease and arent dangerous unless their bites become infected, theyre still one of the most reviled insects out there. Once an insect that was rarely discussed, bed bugs are now so common that travelers report on their presence in hotels, movie theaters, and mass transitpretty much anywhere theres fabric to nestle into and people to hitch a ride on. Theres no need to be embarrassed

A SOUTHAMPTON man hasbeen forced to chuck outfurniture at his council flat due to a bed bug invasion. Gordon Carrick says he isafraid to go to sleep at night and isbeing repeatedly bitten by the creepy crawlies. The 55-year-oldwho lives in Rotterdam Towers said he first noticed the "infestation" in January this year, just months after he first moved in. He said: "I havent even got a sofa to sit on as I have had to get rid of that.Its affecting my mental health. On Friday night I couldnt even go to bed. READ MORE:Residents of Southampton f

A city mum has shamed a Blackpool hotel after claims her first Christmas away from her kids was ruined by 'blood stains, filth and bed bug bites'. Katie Moss and her partner had hoped for a romantic getaway to celebrate at the Norbreck Castle Hotel.The three-star hotel, rated as 'Poor' on TripAdvisor, describes itself as a "stunning Castle like hotel offering a warm welcome to the famous Seaside Resort". And though staff were "polite and lovely", the couple were left disgusted and shocked by the state of their room.As they entered, she claims t

A bogus pest controller conned a woman with mental health problems out of 3,000 when she wrongly believed her home was infested with bed bugs. Darren O'Connor carried out unnecessary treatments and destroyed the woman's furniture as he pretended to fumigate the property. The woman's home was left so bare she was forced to sleep on a plastic garden chair for three months after O'Connor sawed her sofa in half and took it to an incinerator. The brazen fraudster then billed her for 3,000 and asked her to pay for a parking ticket he claimed he had b

Most people want to eradicate bed bugs from their house the moment they find out theres an infestation. In addition to the inconvenience of dealing with the repercussions of bed bugs, it is also difficult to resume a normal social life until these pests are eliminated since they spread so easily. So if youre currently dealing with a bed bug infestation and youre eager to get over it, you may be wondering, How long does it take to get rid of bed bugs? In short, the answer is:It typically takes anywhere from 2-4 treatment sessions over a period o

Brownlie, J. C. & Johnson, K. N. Symbiont-mediated protection in insect hosts. Trends Microbiol. 17, 348354 (2009).CAS PubMed Google Scholar Oliver, K. M., Moran, N. A. & Hunter, M. S. Variation in resistance to parasitism in aphids is due to symbionts not host genotype. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102, 1279512800 (2005).ADS CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar Hosokawa, T., Koga, R., Kikuchi, Y., Meng, X. Y. & Fukatsu, T. Wolbachia as a bacteriocyte-a

An East London woman claims she is trapped in a revolting council flat riddled with cockroaches, bedbugs and rats. Ninette Osei Wilson from Hackney was placed in the flat in 2019 as temporary council accommodation - now, over three years later, the council has yet to place her somewhere more suitable. Ninette, 35, said she is concerned for both her physical and mental health . The pest issues in the flat have affected her appetite and she says she does not feel safe to eat solid food when in the flat, and has been prescribed a meal repla

Those with a fear of insects, be warned! A new study has uncovered the cities in Canada with the most bed bugs and can we just say, ew?According to pest control company Orkin, a whole bunch of Canadian cities actually have bed bug problems. It determined the worst spots by looking at where it performed the most bed bug treatments between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021, in both residential and commercial spaces.Unsurprisingly, the city with the most bed bugs in the country is also the biggest Toronto. After that, the list gets a little

Householders in Dorset who are planning a spring clean are being urged to add checking for bed bugs to their to-do list. The parasites can be hard to spot - and live in other furniture besides bedding. National trade body British Pest Control Association (BPCA) is advising people to look for signs of bed bugs when spring cleaning and to maintain regular checks throughout the year. BPCA has an online guide (bpca.org/bedbugs) with video to help householders identify a potential bed bug infestation, along with advice on when to call for prof

The Salt Lake County Health Department recently issued aNotification of Premises Closed to Occupancyto a care facility housing approximately 17 individuals in Utah. According to the notification letter, an inspection discovered that a sewer line backup had caused widespread contamination and bed bugs were also found.Sewage contamination creates a health and safety concern for anyone that comes in contact with it. Raw sewage can expose people to a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and parasites. If not addres

Bedbugs, once associated with crowded and dirty living quarters, have become a more widespread problem in recent years. They can be found anywhere from public transportation to nice hotels. Like most unwelcome guests, they are notoriously difficult to get rid of.These bloodsucking beasties live anywhere humans live. Although they can feed on other mammals and birds, they prefer human blood. They are wingless, red to reddish-brown, with a flat oval body that is slightly less than 1/4-inch long. Although their size makes them easy to identify, t

bed bugs survive off blood and are excellent at hiding, but bed bugs will leave a trace. Bed bugs shed their skin leaving exoskeletons and they leave excrement behind which are common signs of bed bug activity. PITTSBURGH (PRWEB) February 26, 2022 While large cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York top the list of most bed bug treatments performed by a professional exterminator, according to data released last month, P

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- While large cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York top the list of most bed bug treatments performed by a professional exterminator, according to data released last month, Pittsburgh is #20 on that list.Despite being the 27th largest city in the country, Pittsburgh sees it's fair share of bed bugs. The little hitchhikers have been proliferating successfully in recent years. Increased global travel, insecticide resistance, and overall reduced vigilance are the primary reasons for the resur

What would you do with nearly $19 million bucks to throw away? Probably not spend it on an entire block that has a history of bug infestations and multiple fires, right? In case you are down for it though, its currently on the market and up for grabs. Thats right, Four separate but close properties in Parkdale Village are officially on sale for reportedly $18,750,000.Colliers, a real-estate agency in Canada, listed the multi-family buildings on their site. According to them, the property presents investors with an opportunity to acquire four se