Mum forced to flee home as child left with 'nightmares' over horror infestation

04 October 2023 , 15:13

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Chloe Ingham said her friends have refused to visit her and her daughter Isabella because of the infestation (Image: Gary Carter)

A single mum claims she is forced to flee her home in the summer because it is riddled with hundreds of earwigs.

Chloe Ingham, from Scotland, says she moves out for seven weeks when the horror infestation returns. She added that her daughter Isabella, 4, has been left with "nightmares" over fears that the "beasties" will crawl on her.

Chloe, 22, says she "would not wish her living situation on her worst enemy" and claims the issue has re-occurred for the last three years. The mum, based in the Hilton area of Inverness, has reportedly begged Highland Council for help. She said she needs emergency accommodation because the council has fumigated the property, but the problem still remains.

Chloe said the creepy-crawlies keep coming back (Gary Carter)

The earwigs wriggled their way to her fridge (Gary Carter)

“There are hundreds of them in my home, in my fridge, and cupboards, and destroying my food shops," she said. "I can’t afford to buy new food shops all the time. It’s so frustrating. This is meant to be my home, and this is not a home any more. It’s just a house, I have to live in. It’s got to the point where Isabella won’t sleep in her room when we are here, as she thinks there are beasties crawling on her and she has nightmares. Highland Council send the pest control people around and they fumigate the place, but it doesn’t work.

“They won’t put me in emergency accommodation while it is getting done, and it isn’t healthy for Isabella to be in the house when there are so many fumes. Highland Council say the earwigs are coming from the outside in, but the people who lived in the house before flooded it, and I think they are coming from under the floors. The people on the phone at the Highland Council have been so rude, and so unhelpful with the situation."

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Chloe said she has spent money trying to prevent the issue (Gary Carter)

The mum said the infestation is starting to take a toll on her mental health (Gary Carter)

Ms Ingram, who works at the local branch of the Royal British Legion, has paid almost £100 to put small stones around her property and a small fence, in a bid to stop the creatures getting in. But says she will not live in the house any more if the problem resurfaces again next year, as it is not only affecting her home life but her mental health and social life too.

She added: “I’m a single mum and I’ve had to pay to do all this work, as Highland Council said they had no one available to do it. This situation is not fair for me, and it’s especially not fair on Isabella. She needs a home and she shouldn’t have to get put about everywhere each year. My friends refuse to come around, and I’ve spoken to the doctors as I’m in tears every night.”

A Highland Council spokesperson said: “While we can’t comment on the specifics of an individual case, we provide a free pest control service to council tenants which can deal with most infestations. Our operatives provide advice and practical support to tenants to ensure pests are not attracted into their home.”

Monica Charsley