Bedbug calls up, says Herefordshire pest controller

Bedbugs will always leave lots of evidence, a pest controller has said

A pest controller said he was dealing with more bedbug cases than ever before.

The insects have been in the news since concerns were raised about problems in Paris.

Phil Martin, of PGM & Son pest control service, in Herefordshire, said although people should be concerned about them, precautions could be taken.

He has described bedbugs as a "pain pest" that can get into light sockets, the back of TVs and furniture.

Although he said bedbugs were "really difficult to deal with", he stressed they could be tackled by a professional.

'Little black dots'

Evidence of bedbugs should be easy to spot, and people could pull duvets and sheets back to look for little black dots on the mattress which are blood spots, he added.

A pest controller is considering offering a service treating travel bags for bedbugs ( generic image)

In terms of bites, he said a bedbug would normally bite around the torso and legs, whereas bites just below the knee were likely to be a flea.

And the pest controller's advice for those concerned about transporting the bugs home from holiday is to be careful when unpacking.

"Don't take your bag upstairs and put it on the bed to empty it, do that downstairs, wash all your clothes and then give the bag the once over," said Mr Martin.

His firm is now considering offering a pre and post-holiday bag treatment service due to concerns in France, he added.