Insect infestation experts from Lincolnshire are facing a rush of calls regarding bedbugs
It comes as bedbugs have been reported across France, with many cases in Paris.
Last updated 11th Oct 2023
There's been a surge in the number of calls being made to a Lincolnshire infestation company as people fear a bed bug invasion.
It comes as Paris is grappling with the issue - with the creatures supposedly being spotted in homes, cinemas, hospitals and trains.
The Sturton by Stow company Xeric say hoteliers, guest houses and businesses from across the UK have worries of people bringing pests into rooms.
Norman Howie is the the Head of Operations at the Gelder Group company and tells us more:
"Everyone thinks that they bedbugs disappeared in the 50s, and so with the old phrase 'sleep tight, don't let the bugs bed bugs bite' - which I'm sure people in their 50s will remember... but these bedbugs have always been here.
"People seem to think it's something that's attracted by dirt, and there's a real stigma that's attached to it, and obviously it can be in a way, but you could also be a little bit naive as to what and how an infestation happens.
"These bed bugs can travel, and mostly they do travel. If someone, say for instance, has been on holiday, or in a hotel where there's some bed bugs, and these little insects can travel on clothing, they can travel on suitcases, and when they reach your home, if they're still there, they can infest your home. Your home doesn't have to be dirty. The problem with these bedbugs are, once they get into your home environment, or a commercial environment, they spread quite rapidly."
He added that some people don't even know when they have them:
"They look like little black dots, and once you would start to spot a bedbug, it would have to be an adult one, which means you've had them for at least seven weeks, because that's how long it takes before they're visible like that.
"But once you've got them there, they can live anywhere. Everyone thinks, they're bedbugs, that's what they are, they only live in beds... though they're actually more than happy to hide out in upholstery, carpets, anywhere.
"We've treated them in offices, schools, hospitals, even in places like dentist surgeries... because where there's fabric, there can be bedbugs, and that's the frightening thing, that it can spread quite rapidly. So the number of calls we're getting now, is because people are panicking about it."
Bedbugs feed on blood by biting people, creating wounds that can be itchy but do not usually cause other health problems.
The insects often live on furniture or bedding and can spread by being on clothes or luggage.
To find out more about how to treat the issue of bedbugs, or find out if you need support from a professional, go to Xeric Ltd.