Pest controllers issue urgent warning over bedbugs and say business is 'manic'

19 October 2023 , 08:27

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Pest control specialists are reporting a surge in bedbug cases (stock image) (Image: Getty Images)

Pest controllers have issued a warning over the growing bedbug outbreak in the UK after a surge in cases.

James Garland, from Watford Pest Control in Hertfordshire, said there's been a "massive uptick in bedbug activity" in the county among travellers returning from France. He added: "It’s been manic and we have been pulled from pillar to post. We’ve had a lot more come through."

Fears have been been mounting that they will come across on planes and trains from Paris, which is currently struggling with a plague of the insects. Bedbugs hide in mattresses and emerge at night to feed on human blood, and have been reported in schools, hospitals, trains and cinemas, while hoteliers have described having to spend thousands on dealing with infestations.

Adam Warren, a director of Summit Pest Control, has noted a significant increase in calls about bedbugs across the South East of England, reports the Daily Star, as suspected cases jump from around one or two per week to 15 to 25 in recent times. Research by OnePoll has found a third of people are cleaning more in a bid to keep the bugs out of their homes.

Fears are mounting that the bugs will spread across Britain, as reports suggest that several flats in the southwest have already been affected, despite treatment by pest control specialists. Sightings of the pests have also been reported in London and in Manchester.

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Luton Council in Bedfordshire said it was carrying out an 'alarming' number of jobs to get rid of bedbugs, while in the capital they have been spotted in offices, cars, homes - and also on the Tube. Tony King, owner of Pied Piper Pest Control based in the capital, said: "We’ve been inundated with calls about bedbugs - we’ve been flat out for at least the last eight or nine months with them.”

Transport for London currently say they are "not aware of any outbreaks" on the network, but are carrying out "rigorous" cleaning procedures and monitoring the situation.

A family from Swindon, Wiltshire, recently shared how they were horrified to discover an infestation in their home. Antonia Selby's 28-year-old son was covered in red spots, leading them to find bugs running wild under their sofa.

Antonia told The Sun: "The council sent a pest control company who sprayed the room and we had to stay out for five hours. It's been done twice now but they come back after a couple of days. Some neighbours have had worse infestations and even thrown their mattress out with a sign warning people not to take it."

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Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas