A rise in bed bugs around Ireland is being linked to the return of fans from the Paris Olympics, an expert has said.
Trevor Hayden of Complete Pest Control said that an increase is normal in the summer in the summer months – but this year is particularly bad.
Bed bugs need blood to survive and are attracted to a person's body heat, normally biting in a line of three or four.
Mr Hayden told Lunchtime Live travellers to France were being warned of the parasites.
"We had a lot going on in France with the Olympics - we had that last year when we had major events on in Paris as well," he said.
"There were warnings over there that there was a lot of bed bug activity.
"That coupled with the holiday season being just over is the reason why, at this time of year, we always get loads more calls for them."
'Feed solely on blood'
Mr Hayden said holiday makers would know it is bed bugs travelled back with them.
"If you brought them home with you, you'd know because these guys feed solely on blood," he said.
"Technically, they don't bite but they have to pierce your skin to actually get [to your blood].
"It's the one thing after all these years of working in the industry that still makes you scratch. It's unbelievable."
Mr Hayden said bed bugs are clearly visible to the naked eye.
"Most people, when you're talking bedbugs, they think of these microscopic little mites you see under a microscope - it's not the case at all," he said.
"A full-grown adult bedbug, for all intents purposes, looks like an apple pip – kind of that size, shape and colour.
"So you can quite easily see them, they're huge".
'Two parts to their mouth'
Mr Hayden said it's not just the mattress that they frequent.
"They hang around the bed - most people think it's all the mattress [but] it's not the case – it's in and around the beds," he said.
"So, bedside lockers, wall-floor junctions, the bed frame will be the main area we'd find them".
Mr Hayden said the bed bugs are actually attracted to body heat.
"When you're breathing out at night-time your body heat is what attracts them to the bed with you," he said.
"They come along and they have essentially two parts to their mouth - one is like a needle so they inject you with anticoagulants and an anaesthetic so you can't feel anything and allows the blood to flow.
"They take that out and then they put a straw in essentially and they suck your blood. You won't feel it while they're doing it but the next day [you will].
"Everybody's different so some people react really bad, some people don't react at all. It's kind of similar to the way people react differently to mosquito bites."
Mr Hayden said scratching the bite is what can cause an infection.
"What causes the problem then is because these are like a pimple with a hole in the centre people scratch them," he said.
"It's actually the scratching that worsens the irritation and that's what can cause infection and stuff like that."
He added that washing bedsheet and towels at high temperatures can help "if they are on the sheets but a lot of the times they're not on the sheets".
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