'It just takes one': Pest controller warns 'superspreaders' are taking bed bugs on public transport
ITV reporter Raheem Rashid has been finding out if we're in the midst of a bed bug epidemic.
They've become a growing concern since the summer, with the spread of bed bugs becoming ever more visible.
We've seen them in hotel rooms and bedrooms, and now it's feared they could be getting into our cars and on public transport too.
A pest controller from Wallingford in Oxfordshire says they have seen a significant rise in the number of bed bugs, and by August this year they had done as much work as they usually would in the whole 12 months.
Speaking to ITV Meridian Tom Frost of Pure Pest Solutions revealed it only takes one pregnant bed bug to begin the spread on public transport: "The way they really get onto public transport, that's the big one," he said.
"They get onto public transport by people who we call 'superspreaders.'
"They're people who perhaps don't even know they've got them.
"They get on a bus, taking them from home, sit down, and then when they get off they unfortunately leave them behind.
"Remember it only takes one pregnant bed bug, for you to then sit down on your way to work, and it climbs onto you and into your bag, and you don't know about it.
"Unfortunately you take it home, and then the problem grows from there."
Pest controller Tom Frost says pregnant bed bugs are keen to escape into our belongings.
The British Pest Control Association says bed bugs aren't a new problem on public transport.
Natalie Bungay from the organisation said: "They've always been there, there's always been odd bits, whether it's airplanes or trains, taxicabs, lorries that are on the road and people sleep in their cabs, things like that.
"There definitely is a concern, there really is an issue and there always has been - there's nothing different over the last 50 years.
"It's definitely going to become more of a problem and it's important that you deal with it soon.
"As you notice anything, because the larger the infestation, the harder it is to deal with."
What do you do if you find bed bugs in your vehicle?
If a small localised number of bed bugs do manage to find a home in your vehicle, to get rid of them, you're advised to use chemical sprays that specifically target bed bugs - but only using as little as possible.
Carefully vacuum the entire space, especially under the mats and seats - and use heat treatments, as the bugs can't survive in temperatures above 52°C.
Vehicles like taxis may need to be professionally wrapped and blasted with heat if they're thought to have an infestation, with pest controllers recommending to check hotspot areas on public transport.
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