Not so happy birthday to you: bed bugs are 115 million years old

Whatever the history of bed bugs, what we do know is that they are adapting to the chemicals that we use and strains of these bloodsucking insects are becoming resistant. 

 

Firstly they have developed a thicker skin that stops the poison in the chemicals from being absorbed and mutations that stop the toxins from actually effecting the nervous system. 

 

They have also adapted their genes to alter the way the poison is carried around the insects’ body and have become able to metabolise the insecticides used. The bed bugs are using combinations of these changes to make themselves immune to the pest controller’s chemicals. 

 

We are aware of these adaption’s and when it comes to a bed bug treatment we always start with extremely high temperature steam; all life has a certain temperature which it cannot survive above – the thermal death point. 

Bed bugs have a TDP of 48* C and around 55*C to destroy any eggs; we use temperatures of 60*C in the form of steam to start our treatments. We follow we chemicals to leave a residual insecticide base; the insecticides we use also contain pyriproxifen which is a insect growth regulator. 

 

IGR’s work by affecting the insects ability to grow and mature naturally; they either block the process of an insect turning from a juvenile to an adult or cause it to become an adult before they have developed their sexual organs. IGR’s are sometimes called insect birth control. 

At All Aspects Pest Control we keep up to date with the latest information affecting the pest control industry so we can adapt to changes and maintain a first class service. As part of bed bug control program we can install portable heaters and raise the internal room temperatures to 60*C killing everything inside. 

 

When it comes to bed bugs we know we can kill them; it’s not quite an extinction event but we can get you pest free.