One expert has been receiving 30+ daily complaints.
European headlines in the last few months had been documenting the serious infestation of bed bugs in Paris during the World Cup.
Now, it seems the problem has made its way to Ireland and one expert claims to be receiving at least 30 complaints about bed bugs each day.
Trevor Hayden, Managing Director of Complete Pest Control, said this time last November he had only received five complaints and said “it’s unusual for this time of year”.
Speaking on The Pat Kenny Show, Trevor explained that: “We would get a lot of these calls generally when people are travelling during the summer and they’re coming home and they’re brought these unwelcome guests back with them.
“So, for this time of the year, yes, it’s really unusual.”
There are a number of telltale signs that indicate you have a problem with bedbugs in your home.
Trevor explained that many people think these creatures are so small they go unnoticed, but that is not the case.
“An adult bed bug, for all intents and purposes, looks like an apple pip,” Trevor advised.
“So, they’re quite large and they live in and around the bed.”
Things to look out for include:
- Rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses caused by bed bugs being crushed
- Dark spots (about this size: •), which are bed bug excrement and may bleed on the fabric like a marker would
- Eggs and eggshells, which are tiny (about 1mm) and pale yellow skins that nymphs shed as they grow larger
- Live bed bugs
How to deal with the issue
Mr Hayden said if you think you have bed bugs, you need to call in professional help as soon as possible because they will multiply, quickly.
“We use a three-pronged approach; we use a heat tent, so we’ll heat up a bed and we’ll essentially cook the bed begs and that will kill anything,” he told Newstalk.
“A lot of these box-based beds, they’re very difficult to treat, so cooking them will get rid of anything inside.
“We use a superheated steam at 180 degrees, so it’s a dry steam but again that will penetrate into cracks and crevices, the headboard and actual hard to get places.
“Then we use an insecticidal spray as well… We find that works best.”
It’s important to note that although can cause itchiness with their bits, they are not deemed to be dangerous.
This article originally appeared on Her Family
Header images via Getty
READ ON:
– The Galway Christmas Market makes its grand return this week
– Winterval Festival returns to Waterford this Christmas with over 100 food and craft stalls
– Kaiseki style Michelin-star restaurant in Cork to close ahead of rebrand
