One of the most hated and misunderstood pests known to man is the bed bug (Cimex lectularius). How many of us dozed off to sleep at night as young ones with the words of our parents in our ears “sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite”

Bed Bugs may have started to feed on man at about the time we moved into caves, the bat bugs Cimex pilosellus and Cimex pipistrella primarily feed on bats and it is probable that bat feeding species of bug evolved to feed on human blood when our ancestors started dwelling in bat infested caves.

Up to the arrival of DDT in the early 20th century bed bugs were common unwelcome guests in most poor quality homes.

The later part of the 20th century saw pest control companies dealing with very few bed bug infestations indeed, their presence being largely restricted to cheap holiday camps and student lodgings etc.

A lot of people mistake dust mites, which aren’t visible to the unaided eye, with bed bugs which very definitely are.

Adult bedbugs are reddy-brown, about a quarter of an inch in size and very swollen after dining on human blood.

They grow by an incomplete metamorphosis which means that the babies are just smaller versions of the adult, they do not have a pupal stage like a flea or a fly.

Bed bugs regularly feed on human blood every seven to ten days, emerging in the hours before dawn and locating their target by detecting the exhaled CO2 from human breath and when nearby their target, body heat.

In the absence of a suitable human host to feed on they can remain dormant for periods of up to 18 months.

Signs of a bed bug infestation are spots of blood on bedding and on the base of mattresses and many people can react badly to their bites.

The early 21st century has seen bed bug numbers explode across the planet, the easy availability of world travel and economic migration have both been blamed for the resurgence.

What is positive is that that are now making a real comeback not only in poor quality housing but high class hotels, schools and even hospitals.

One London borough reports a doubling of bed bug problems every year from 1995 to 2001.

One night away in an infested hotel is all it takes, they hitch a ride in your suitcases or bags. Pest control companies are also now reporting cases of transport related bed bug infestations on tubes, trains and buses so a simple ride to work on an infested tube or train can be sufficient to bring the infestation to your own home.

They are an expensive pest to deal with as contrary to popular opinion they do not just live in beds. They live in any nook and cranny conveniently close to a sleeping human, beds, electrical sockets, televisions, bed-side bed side telephones etc and dealing with them is both difficult and time consuming. They have even been discovered found living under the toe-nails of infirm people and in the creases of flesh on grossly over-weight people.

They are not a pest that can be eradicated by an amateur and a pest controlprofessional will almost certainly be required.

Do you love Burberry designer cloths? but cannot afford them? - well look no further London is home to the Burberry Designer Outlet Hackney. 

Hackney is In East London and is easy to reach from the centre by tube bus or taxi there you will find this Mecca for Burberry lovers. Here you can buy clothes , accessories and shoes heavily reduced , thus allowing us mere mortals to buy into this luxurious brand. Christopher Bailey the head designer has been the power house behind the revival of this famously quintessential English brand. famous for the trench cost and the infamous Burberry check, the brand now is sought after by fashionistas and a list celebrities alike. 

They have produced some sought after items over the last few seasons including the studded tote bag from the Autumn Winter 2008 collection and the gravity defying platform.

Anyone who loved the  Burberry’s flares last season will love this Spring’s extreme version: the shrink-to-the-leg cheesecloth trouser that made a clever compromise between sheer leggings and a pant.  Bailey’s super-deluxe trenches, these have bee a main stay feature of his last three shows—also get an   update: dull steel-gray python, sometimes richly embellished with paillettes ( large sequins )  running up from the hem. 

But like I say if  the above all fall into the cannot afford but lust over the brand category take a trip to the Burberry outlet in East London and bag yourself a little slice of this amazing brand at a fraction of the price. So make haste for the Burberry designer outlet in Hackney East London as soon as possible.