Monday 6 October 2014

It's a Rugs Life!


No one who buys a new rug and puts it down proudly in pride of place is planning for it to become a safe harbour for pests and other nasties, but unless you are a really scrupulous cleaner, you will soon be sharing your home with some quite unpleasant and unwanted guests. You don't even need to have loads of pets, either. Unless you sanitise everyone who comes into your home, you will end up with bugs and creepy crawlies. So perhaps this would be a good time to meet just who is living in your shaggy rug.

Carpet beetles

These little charmers not only lurk in the depths of your rugs and carpets, but they also chew through the fibres, causing those tell-tale bald spots that appear over time. They look rather like a small, boring brown ladybird and for these to take up residence all you need do is live in a house. They start off in birds’ nests and when they are abandoned at the end of the summer, they work their way down from lofts and gutters looking for a cushy home; when they get to the shaggy rug so conveniently placed in a bedroom, they move in and start chewing. But at least they don't like chewing on you. Unlike…

Fleas – cat, dog and human

Fleas are species specific when it comes to their breeding cycle, but if they are hungry they will chomp on anything that’s going. Treating pets for fleas is obviously the best way to minimise flea infestation but all you really need do to pick up at least some temporary guests is to go outside. Walks in the woods, fields or even down the High Street means that a flea could take a fancy to you for a while, only to drop off and live for as long as it takes to bite you and your family several times. If you have a human flea, tough luck. It will breed and lay eggs to further order. If you have a cat or dog flea and a cat or dog the same will apply. These little beggars move in to stay.

Bed bugs

Don't be fooled by the name. These horrible creatures will be just as at home in your shaggy bedside rug, hopping on to a passing foot as you head for the sack. With rashes, allergic symptoms and even psychological problems laid at their door, these are certainly not something you want to have in your home.

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