UK bed bug callouts to exterminators up 196% – but everything is not as it seems
Bed bug call outs in the UK have gone up by 196% since last year - but exterminators Rentokil said there was actually only a 65% increase in confirmed bed bug activity.
Infestations were initially reported in Paris - specifically in the French capital's subway system - and weeks later they were spotted in Britain, including at libraries and on the tube in London. Some experts believe it's something of a trick in the mind and that the increase in bed bug sightings here is more of a perception than having much evidence to back it up.
Bed Bugs Ltd - which charges £75 for a call out - attended a woman's flat she said was full of the critters. But on inspection, which included a scan of the bedroom, exterminator David Cain said he found absolutely no sign of them. Other such firms say they have found similar cases of delusional parasitosis (DP).
The disorder is most frequently seen in middle-aged, socially isolated women. Thomas Gath, of Vermin8 pest control in Leeds, said he has seen an increase in calls but usually finds what frantic customers are mistaking for bedbugs are likely carpet beetles.
Bed bug callouts have increased incredibly in the UK - but they might be exaggerated (Getty Images/iStockphoto)He told the Independent: "You come in and check and there’s nothing at all. I do a full survey I tell them there’s no sign of bedbugs anywhere. Last week this woman had come back from holiday and she was convinced she brought bed bugs back with her. But it was way too soon for them to show signs. She was adamant. I think it was mosquito bites myself but she had convinced herself it was bedbugs after reading the papers.”
'Council had to move us from our flat because of bedbugs – it was horrific'
He added that it isn't a waste of his time because he charges £25 plus VAT for a survey to be done and "they are so desperate they just do it". Patrick De Vos, from 1 ENV pest control, meanwhile, added: “We’ve seen a little increase in cases but more people just want security. They want monitoring products that can detect bedbugs." He said they are "clever" and can lie dormant for a long time and come back.
The Mirror reported last month about cheap items that are "toxic" to bed bugs and is claimed to successfully kill the pests and their eggs. Some experts have made it clear that the infestations are not a cause for concern, but there are three ways to naturally repel the pest from your clothing.
One plant that is commonly used in many commercially sold insect repellents and has been deemed equally effective for controlling bed bug numbers is lavender. It is most effective when sprayed across different areas of the house and on clothing, as bugs cling onto garments and furniture when seeking shelter in a new home.
Lake Norman Pest Control states blood orange essential oil is proven to be one of the "most effective solutions when bed bugs are the matter and it can kill the pest successfully". They told Express.co.uk: "The scent can keep those pests away from your home and will prevent them from coming back."
Tea tree is also deemed a highly effective means of killing bed bugs, though it works best as a contact-type chemical-free insecticide. In other words, the product works best when applied or sprayed onto the targeted insect as opposed to clothing and furniture.
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