BED bugs are biting with a vengeance in Peterborough with an increasing number of infestations.
Peterborough City Council has reported an increase in the number of call-outs to treat homes infested with the blood-sucking parasites.
The council’s pest control officers, who charge £120 to clear a house, attended 74 dwellings which had been s
warmed by the bugs in a four- month period up to August.
The figure is likely to take them well over the 122 call outs they had for the whole of last year.
Meanwhile, independent pest controller Ron Barford said he is treating between 10 to 14 properties for bed bugs each month – a massive increase compared with two years ago, when he attended between three and four infestations a year.
Mr Barford, of Barford Pest Control, in Peterborough Road, Farcet, charges £98 plus VAT to clear a three bedroom house.
He said: “There’s been a drastic rise in the last two years. It’s gone berserk. I have worked in pest control for about 20 years and this is the worst I’ve ever seen it.
“It’s an awful situation to live in. People musn’t suffer in silence because they’re embarrassed. The sooner they report the problem the sooner they can prevent the bugs spreading.”
Bed bugs are bloodsucking parasites of humans, but they also feed on domestic animals, chickens and bats. Their bite is painless, but it is their saliva that can cause irritation, swelling and redness. Living in bedclothes, mattresses, bedsprings and frames, soft furnishing and under wallpaper, the bugs feed at night, or at any time if the room is dark.
Traditionally associated with poor hygiene, the city council’s pest control and dog warden manager Peter Harris said there were several other reasons for the rapid rise in the problem.
He said: “They can easily be transmitted, and in today’s world people are moving about and travelling much more. Bed bugs can easily be picked up. People may bring them back from a holiday, or they may sleep somewhere with an infestation and bring it into their own home. It’s important to keep an eye out for symptoms, such as bites on the upper body, and to be aware of the different places they visit.
“Second hand furniture can also potentially be a source of the problem too.”
Infestations are treated with insecticides while the entire home is fumigated and all bedding needs to be washed at a temperature of 90C.
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