The Increase in Bed Bug Numbers

You may have seen all the headlines on the increase in the numbers of bed bugs such as The Guardians post found here

But why the increase and how can it impact you?

The main reason given for the increase in the bed bug population is international travel and while this was true in the late 90’s and early 2000’s it is now less of a factor than it once was.

As the numbers of bed bugs introduced into the UK increased the way they were spread changed, local transport hubs, buses, trains, trams became more relevant. Anywhere that a person can sit down and has a high number of users can be affected by this includes Doctors Surgeries, Churches, Mosques, Football Stadiums and Cinemas among others.

During long spells of hot weather, which are now becoming more frequent due to global warming, the breeding time for bed bugs has dramatically reduced from the usual 18 -21 days to 8-9 days meaning that an infestation can grow a lot quicker.  As a result, there will be more bed bugs spread from peoples properties and more for you to potentially take home.

So what can you do about it , well about the increase in numbers nothing at all but about detecting them you should be vigilant and better still use passive bed bug monitors to detect them as do tens of thousands of hotel rooms worldwide

Written by Terry Shoulders of Bed bugs Limited