The most common bed bug pest in UK homes is Cimex lectularius - the species adapted to human environments.
The most common type of bed bug, and the species known to prefer human blood, is Cimex lectularius. Other species exist, but this one has adapted to human environments. Its preferred habitats are heated homes and properties where it can infest beds and sofas.
The species is most active at night, often hiding during the day - although it is not uncommon to find active bed bugs during daylight hours. For this reason they are not classed as strictly nocturnal.
Bed bugs are found across the globe. Their numbers have increased steadily since the mid-1990s, largely blamed on the increase in cheap air fares and international travel, as well as the bed bug's growing natural resistance to pest control chemicals.
This rising chemical resistance is one of the main reasons heat treatment has become the gold-standard approach to bed bug eradication.
Roy Couch is the Technician Manager at JG Pest Control, leading the technician team across the UK. He holds the BPCA Diploma and the RSPH Level 2 Award in the Safe Use of Aluminium Phosphide, and is qualified in the Safe Use of Rodenticides.
Peter Bowers-Davis is a board volunteer at the British Pest Control Association (BPCA), the UK trade body for professional pest management. He works across the Tyro UK group of companies, including JG, setting technical standards, treatment protocols and training programmes.
Speak to one of our RSPH (BPCA) Level 2 certified and trainee techs today for free, no-obligation advice.
