A pest control expert has revealed how to protect your home against pesky bed bugs amid fears that the insects have travelled over from France.
This week, Sadiq Khan warned that the possibility of bedbugs on London’s public transport was a ‘real source of concern’.
He said that he had contacted officials in Paris after the French capital became overwhelmed by an outbreak with the insects reported in schools, trains, hospitals and cinemas.
Many fear that bed bugs have made their way over to the UK, as people have spotted them in London, Luton and Manchester, suggesting the problem is widespread and growing.
Now, Richard Grimes, Managing Director and Pest Control Expert at Acorn Environment Services, has revealed how you can banish the insects from your home.
Has your house been infested by bed bugs? Please email: tips@dailymail.com
Richard Grimes, Managing Director and Pest Control Expert at Acorn Environment Services, has revealed how you can banish the insects from your home
He said: ‘Bed bugs aren’t picky and they can very easily hitch a ride on our luggage or clothes, making it incredibly easy for this infestation to find its way to the UK.
‘That’s why it’s so important for Brits to have the information they need to protect themselves and their homes.’
While bed bugs may seem small and harmless, they can soon take over your whole house.
For some, their bites are uncomfortable, showing up on skin as itchy red bumps as they feast on human and animal blood.
Mr Grimes said that bed bugs have ‘a reddish-brown, flat, oval bodies and leave itchy bites that are either in a line or clusters.’
He recommends that Brits remove the clutter from their homes and avoid storing items on the floor.
The pest expert said that those struggling with an infestation should wash bedding and clothing at a high temperature.
‘Bed bugs and their eggs can’t survive at temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius, so high temperature washes and tumble drying for at least 30 minutes can help to kill them off,’ said Mr Grimes.
Rik Smith, director of tenancy services at Goodlord, has also issued a series of tips to tenants worried about their bugs – ranging from the extreme to the bizarre.
If you are concerned that you may have brought the bugs into the house, Mr Smith says you should ‘put affected clothes and bedding in the freezer for a few hours before washing’.
You should also take steps to ‘wash bedding and clothes on a hot wash (at least 60C) and tumble dry on a hot setting for 30 minutes’.
When that’s done, it is important to hoover the house thoroughly and empty the bag – as the bugs may still be alive in there.
Bedbugs are seen in a sofa bed in L’Hay-les-Roses near Paris, France, last week
He explained: ‘They are incredibly small – 5 to 7mm long – and it’s easy for them to get into a home without anyone noticing.
‘Considering the bugs can live for up to six months without food, one of the most difficult problems people face is the fact they’re so hard to remove – and may only be noticed when there is a full infestation.’
A pest control company which operates in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London has said that staff are facing 25 call-outs a week, which is up from just ‘one or two’ a month ago.
Luton is a particular hotspot for bedbugs at the moment, with residents throwing their beds away, ripping up carpets and evacuating their homes.
Luton Council’s website this week warned residents it ‘does not have limitless resources’ to tackle the ‘obnoxious pest’, adding treating properties was ‘not free’.
It said: ‘The national bed bug problem has not missed Luton. The Pest Control Service is currently receiving an alarming number of bed bug jobs on a weekly basis.’
Adam Warren, director of Summit Pest Control, told The Times that the problem had flared up in the past six weeks and that Luton was ‘busier for bedbugs than I’ve ever known it’.
As the company face a busy time of year, they said the worst infestation was in the affluent village of Radlett, Hertfordshire, where an elderly couple’s house was so infested they had to rip out the carpets and throw the beds away.
The Times also spoke to Jamie Ramsey, manager of Pests of London, who said they were ‘snowed under’ with bedbug call-outs at the moment. They serve areas within the M25.
Britain’s bedbug infestation is said to be getting worse with pest-control teams revealing they are the busier than ever. Pictured: A bedbug outbreak on bedding
Fears are growing of a bedbug outbreak in the UK – similar to that seen in France over recent weeks. Pictured: Specialists on a bedbug call-out
A bedbug is seen on a glove of a biocide technician from Hygiene Premium in Paris on September 29
The company’s call-outs have doubled since last year to around five to ten a day – many from hotels concerned that guests were bringing them to rooms.
A third firm, Pest Extractors, said they have seen a recent spike too – not just in Luton but all over, including Stevenage, another hotspot.
The spike comes as it has also emerged that insurers will not pay out over bedbug infestations.
Aviva, the UK’s largest insurer, and other firms who provide home cover have confirmed the cost of removing bedbugs or repairing damage is not included in most policies.
The Association of British Insurers urged customers to look if there was any additional cover they could get as fears grow over an infestation.
Cover is likely to vary between home insurance policies, with many not covering the cost of damage caused by vermin and pests,’ a spokesman told The Telegraph.
‘The costs of disinfestation might be covered under some add-ons to cover, like emergency home assistance. So, the advice on this is to check the cover provided under your policy.’
Aviva said its standard home insurance policies exclude ‘moths, vermin, insects, fungus, damp, rust, wet or dry rot’. Admiral said it also excluded damage and that its Home Emergency add-on would not cover bedbugs. Axa also said it would not cover bedbugs.
Transport for London (TfL) has begun disinfecting Tube seats on a daily basis to stop infestations.
Britons have been sharing several videos of suspected bedbugs on social media as fears grow
Video shows a backstreet in Marseille filled with home furnishings abandoned during the crisis
But experts fear Brits heading to Marseille for England’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Fiji on Sunday could bring the insects back with them. One rugby fan told MailOnline she plans to ‘actively avoid’ sitting on public transport and has started having ‘nightmares’ about bedbugs after watching videos of the critters on social media.
Nic Shacklock from Online-Bedrooms said: ‘It’s estimated over a million fans are heading to the Rugby Village.
‘If everyone is using public transport while Paris is gripped by a bed bug infestation, it’s more than likely an outbreak is heading to our shores.’
He added: ‘It’s worth placing bin bags or thick plastic bags on seats while using the Metro as they don’t like to cling onto smooth plastic materials.
‘We also advise being cautious when you arrive at the hotel room. Check under your bed sheets and strip the entire room as the bugs can be hiding within the mattress and on the sofa.’
Professor Lucy Easthope, who has worked on the response to global events including the 9/11 and 7/7 attacks, the Grenfell Tower fire and Covid-19, has warned that Britain is ‘not ready’ for an invasion of bedbugs.
The French government is battling to contain a bout of nationwide panic, with several secondary schools closing due to the infestation.
Footage shows residents walking past discarded mattresses in one of the streets in Marseille and Lyon, with some of the items lying in the road and others propped up against buildings.
Locals are also chucking out their home furnishings because of the issue, with a placard reading ‘bedbugs’ pinned to the headboard of a bed to warn others not to take it.
Concerns have grown over a bedbug infestation in London after a video went viral over the weekend of what was claimed to be a bedbug on a person’s leg on the Victoria line.
But some experts have disputed whether the creature is indeed a bedbug, with one saying it was not ‘flat enough’ and another saying that the clip ‘looks wrong.’
Mr Khan said he was concerned, but TfL was doing everything it could to ensure the bedbug infestation in France does not spread to public transport in London.
He told PoliticsJOE: ‘This is a real source of concern, right? People are worried about these bugs in Paris causing a problem in London.
‘I was in contact with TfL last week and this weekend. We’re taking steps to make sure we don’t have those problems in London, in relation to regular cleaning of not just the Tubes and our buses, but talking to the Eurostar as well.
‘TfL have one of the best regimes to clean our assets on a nightly basis. We’re speaking to our friends in Paris to see if there are any lessons to be learned. For a variety of reasons we don’t think those issues will arise in London – but no complacency from TfL.’
TfL has confirmed that it is monitoring trains and buses for any indication that the infestation could have reached the UK.
The entrance to the UGC Odeon cinema, where a worker claims to have found bedbugs, in Paris
A TfL spokesman said: ‘We are continuing to closely monitor our network but are not aware of any outbreaks in London.
‘We are continuing to implement our rigorous and thorough cleaning measures that have been proven to keep both the interior and exterior of our trains clean.
‘We are committed to providing a clean and safe environment on our bus, Tube and rail service for our customers and staff, and we would like to reassure our customers that we continue to maintain our already high standards of cleanliness, so our staff and customers can use the network safely and with confidence.’
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