Bedbugs

 

The adult measures 4-5 mm long, is oval and flattened, red-brown, without wings and can live several months without food.  Strink glands produce an objectional smell.  At one time a common pest of  slums but now reduced by higher standards of hygiene, it is still common however in apartment buildings  and hotels with a rapid turnover.  Bed bugs are not regarded as disease carriers but are still regarded by most with abhorence.  Their blood feeding can cause severe irritation in some people resulting in loss of sleep, lack of energy and listlessness.  The very thought of being preyed upon by such creatures is quite sufficient to make most people take immediate action to control them.  It is interesting to note that many factors are helping to sustain existing bed bug populations : modern building techniques which allow easy access between adjoining properties ; the increased use of heating which allows continued feeding and proliferation during winter and the movement of furniture in the second-hand market.