Everyone on high alert, there’s an insect apocalypse on its way

Remember that old saying ‘good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite’, and then you’d spend the next 20 minutes wondering just what exactly a bed bug was and why you didn’t want it biting you?

As it turns out those tiny menaces have been kept at bay by pest controllers over the years, but new research has discovered the treatments being used to stop those bed bugs in their tracks are no longer working and what’s worse, the nocturnal insect is becoming a more dangerous threat.

The insecticides used to kill off bed bugs was pretty heavy duty, and it was only the strongest of the strong that came away unscathed, but pest controllers are now saying they are having to use a variety of different chemical and at much higher doses to effectively remove bed bugs.

The small creatures love to feel on the blood of animals, including humans, so this news that they are becoming immune to control measures is a little concerning.

Bed bugs are usually flat, but it only takes a few minutes for their bodies to balloon as they suck away at your blood. You don’t feel their bites during the night — they have a mild anaesthetic in their saliva so as not to disturb you, how nice — but you might notice welts on your body and could find yourself scratching. Thought it was allergies or a mosquito? Think again…

You already knew bed bugs had an aversion to some colour, but this is far worse!

Vacuuming and steam cleaning doesn’t seem to rid you of these monsters.

While a professional pest person is still your best solution, the fact bed bugs can live in your home without food for a year and are becoming increasingly resistant to treatments means it might take more than one or two goes before they are gone for good.

Has there been a time when you’ve struggled to get rid of pests? Do you think household pests are more prevalent at certain times of the year?