A pest control expert from Buckinghamshire said bedbug infestations in the UK have ‘gotten progressively worse’ over the last few years as news of an outbreak in Paris continues to make headlines.

A pest control expert from Buckinghamshire said that although concerns about the ‘widespread’ outbreak of bedbugs in Paris has been 'blown out of proportion', the insects have been steadily climbing in number on this side of the Channel in recent years.

Over the past week, bedbugs have been spotted crawling over seats in the Parisian Metro chain as well as in other transport links and private accommodation, prompting Deputy Mayor of Paris Emmanuel Gregoire to declare a “widespread” infestation.

Transport for London is now reportedly also monitoring public transport around the capital for bedbug outbreaks following concerns that the pests could have zipped over from France on the Eurostar.

Is there a real need for concern in outer London areas like Buckinghamshire, though? Sam Devereux, General Manager at Bucks-based company JG Pest Control, thinks there is more cause for concern than people realise – even if the current outbreak has been “blown out of proportion”.

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Bedbugs are attracted to the heat and CO2 given off by human bodies, which does create the risk that Londoners visiting Paris will bring the insects back with them, likely on their clothing.

Sam said, however, that the insects would only spread to those with whom the infected person has close contact, theoretically limiting their capacity for further infection. 

While he doesn't believe the Paris outbreak should necessarily be subject to concern from residents in the UK, he has observed a rise in the number of bedbug infestations dealt with by his team over the past two to three years, adding that he would describe the infestations as more of an “endemic” problem than a “flash in the pan”.

“In my experience, bedbugs have gotten progressively worse in the UK, year in and year out. We’ve seen more international travel over the past few years, more Airbnbs being used and cities like London and Paris now have a very high turnover rate of people travelling in and out. 

"I wouldn’t say I’m surprised by the current news, but in my mind, it has been a steady increase over recent years, rather than recent days."