The number of Irish people with a bed bug infestation is six times normal levels, a pest control expert has said. 

During the World Cup, visitors to Paris were told to be careful after a surge in the number of bed bug cases in the French capital. 

One month on, the problem seems to have arrived in Ireland with Complete Pest Control Managing Director Trevor Hayden fielding 30 complaints about bed bugs a day, whereas last November he only received five. 

“It’s unusual for this time of year,” he told The Pat Kenny Show. 

“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.” 

How to tell if you have bed bugs

Bed bugs are small insects that feast on the blood of a mammal - whether that is a dog, a cat or a human being. 

There is a common misconception that they are too small to be spotted but Mr Hayden said they can be if you know what you’re looking for. 

“Most people think that they’re these tiny little things that you can’t see - but you actually can,” he said. 

“An adult bed bug, for all intents and purposes, looks like an apple pip.

“So, they’re quite large and they live in and around the bed.” 

A man examines a bed for bed bugs. Image: Alamy.com

Like most insects, they breed extremely quickly and one single pregnant female can mean you have a “serious problem” on your hands. 

Spotting eggs, however, is much more difficult than spying fully mature bed bugs. 

“The eggs are tiny, tiny,” he said. 

“A lot of mattresses are a cream or white colour and it’s very difficult to see them. 

“Generally, if they’re not on the mattress, they hide them in cracks and crevices around the headboard and the bedside locker.” 

Blood on your sheets is often another sign and Mr Hayden recommended people familiarise themselves with what bed bug droppings look like as well. 

“You’ll see lots of little black dots,” he said. 

“Generally it’s in the corner in a piece of wood or up under a headboard or something like that.”

Treatment

Unlike with rats and mice, where anyone can put down a simple trap, Mr Hayden said if you think you have bed bugs, you need to call in professional help. 

“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 said. 

“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.” 

The good news is that while bed bug bites are itchy, they are not dangerous.

Main image: A bed bug infestation.