Bedbug bite cream 'out of stock' as infestations rise rapidly across UK

13 October 2023 , 14:04

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A bedbug infestation has swept across the UK (Image: Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Bedbug bite treatment is in high demand and some pharmacies are running low as pest infestations rise across the UK.

Hydrocortisone cream is said to be in short supply and medical experts have warned people they may struggle to buy the treatment in the coming weeks. Pest control firms have reported being “inundated” with calls about bedbugs and hydrocortisone cream is used to treat bites as it relieves itchiness.

While bedbugs are not considered to be dangerous, as they do not transmit diseases, a bite can lead to serious allergic reactions among some people and they can make life pretty upsetting if you get an infestation. The pesky insects can also live for as long as a year in households before dying and it's an unfortunate truth that there's no quick fix if you have an infestation at home.

Sri Kanaparthy, a pharmacist based in Durham, has been struggling to restock hydrocortisone cream. He explained all his medicine suppliers are "out of stock".

"The shortage is very likely to get even worse if more people need the cream," he told The Sun. Dr Leyla Hannbeck, of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, added: "We're not sure how many pharmacies have the cream in stock right now."

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Bedbug bite cream 'out of stock' as infestations rise rapidly across UK

Bedbug bites are itchy and can sometimes get infected (Getty Images)

There are a number of other treatments those who have been bitten can use, however. "Calamine lotion or antihistamines can be used to reduce the itchiness," Dr Hannbeck said.

"You can also hold a cold compress to the bitten area to bring down swelling. Try not to scratch or itch your bite as it can get infected and leave scars."

If the bites become painful then speak to a pharmacist or GP, Dr Hannbeck added. Some bites can become infected and may require stronger medication or antibiotics.

It comes as a number of pest control firms in London reported an increased number of call-outs, with one warning the spread of the blood-sucking insects is “out of control”. Tony King, owner of Pied Piper Pest Control, said they had been found in offices and cars, as well as homes.

“We’ve been inundated with calls about bedbugs – we’ve been flat out for at least the last eight or nine months with them,” he told the PA news agency. He added that there was a “bedbug epidemic in West London”, with flats in Victorian houses being a particular source of cases.

David Cain, founder of Bed Bugs Limited, said there had been “exponential growth” in bedbug cases over the last 20 years and that they are now “out of control”. “The problem is worse now than it’s been since probably the 1930s and 1940s," he said.

Hydrocortisone cream, which is used to treat bites, is said to be in short supply (Getty Images)

He said the number of bedbug cases he dealt with had increased from around four to five a week in 2007 to 15 to 20 this year. “They’re not just in people’s beds: they’re on public transport, in doctor’s surgeries, cinemas, restaurants – all over the place.”

Professor Mary Cameron, professor of medical entomology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, believes the warmer weather may be a reason why we are seeing an increased number of bedbugs. “It’s because the weather has been so mild and we’ve had an extended summer, and most insects like warmth and humidity because then they can reproduce rapidly," she said.

“So I think the weather has extended the season for different insects, including bedbugs.” In addition, she said there has been more movement of people since Covid, and as bedbugs are known hitchhikers, that will have helped them spread.

“During Covid there would have been a decrease in bedbug infestations,” explains Prof Cameron, “but now people are travelling a lot more and they can carry the bedbugs in their luggage from a hotel room to back home, and also they can be on public transport too. That will all contribute to an increase in bedbugs.”