What's biting you? Biting insect control in Summerstrand

Waking up in Summerstrand covered in itchy bites usually means one of four things: bed bugs, fleas, mosquitoes or bird mites. Each needs a completely different treatment, so the first job is working out which one you've got. The pattern of the bites, where you sleep and what's living nearby usually give it away.

Reading the bites

None of these clues is perfect on its own, and people react to bites differently, but together they point in the right direction.

• Bites in a line or cluster on arms, neck, shoulders or back, appearing overnight, often mean bed bugs. They feed on skin that's exposed while you sleep.
• Bites mostly on the ankles and lower legs, especially in a house with pets or one you've just moved into, point to fleas.
• Scattered, swollen bites on whatever was uncovered, with buzzing in the room at night, are usually mosquitoes.
• Itching with a feeling of something crawling, but nothing you can see clearly, near a ceiling, window or air conditioner where birds have nested, suggests bird mites.

Why Summerstrand gets all four

The suburb has an unusual mix. Student rooms, hotels, guesthouses and holiday lets all see constant movement of people and luggage, and that's how bed bugs spread. Rentals change hands often, and a flat where the last tenant kept a cat can be full of flea pupae waiting for someone to walk in. Pigeons nest on the ledges, roofs and air conditioning units of apartment blocks, and when the young birds leave, their mites go looking for a new host. And on still summer nights, mosquitoes breed in any standing water around homes and gardens.

What to do about each one

Bed bugs

Check the seams of the mattress, the corners of the bed base and behind the headboard for small brown bugs, black spots and pale shed skins. Bed bugs need a thorough, targeted treatment of the bed and surrounding furniture, nearly always with a follow-up. Our page on bed bug treatment in Summerstrand rooms and guesthouses goes through it step by step.

Fleas

Treat the pets first with a product your vet recommends, then the home. We treat carpets, floors and pet resting areas with a residual product. There's more on clearing fleas from Summerstrand homes and rentals.

Bird mites

The fix is at the nest, not in the bedroom. We find and treat the nest site and the route the mites are using to get indoors, and advise on proofing so birds can't nest there again. See bird mites in Summerstrand flats.

Mosquitoes

Remove standing water around the property: plant saucers, gutters, buckets, pool covers. We can treat outdoor resting areas, but removing the breeding water does most of the work.

How a visit works

We start by working out what's biting. That means looking at the bites if you're comfortable showing us, inspecting beds and furniture, checking pets and pet bedding, and looking up at eaves, ledges and air conditioning units for nests. Once we know the culprit, we treat it in the right place. For most of these treatments you can stay at home; keep children and pets off treated areas until dry.

The mistake that costs the most

Treating the wrong pest. We regularly meet people who've sprayed for mosquitoes for weeks when they actually had bed bugs, or who've thrown out a mattress when the bites came from bird mites dropping through a ceiling gap. Getting the identification right first saves money and frustration. If you can catch the culprit on clear sticky tape, or photograph it, that helps a great deal.

A local tip

If you live in a beachfront block and the bites started shortly after pigeons nested on your air conditioner or window ledge, mention the nest when you call. It's one of the most overlooked causes of night-time bites in flats, and it changes where we start looking.

Guesthouses and holiday lets

When a guest reports bites, the pressure is on to act fast and get the room back into use. The temptation is to spray everything. Resist it until the cause is known. A room with bed bugs needs a very different treatment from one with fleas left by a visiting dog, and the wrong one wastes a booking. A quick inspection first, and a photo of anything the guest found, gets you to the right answer sooner.

What does it cost?

It depends on what we find. A flea treatment in a small flat is fairly simple. Bed bugs in a guesthouse with several rooms, or bird mites that need roof access to reach the nest, take more time. Mosquitoes are often something you can largely handle yourself. We quote once we know what's biting.

For more background, see the biting insect guide or biting insect control in Port Elizabeth.

Call 087 012 5550, or WhatsApp us a clear photo of the bites or the insect and we'll help you narrow it down.