Bedbug infestations in the U.K. have spiked due to uncharacteristically hot weather, experts have warned.
In recent weeks, the U.K. saw mercury climb to temperatures of 80 degrees Fahrenheit, considerably higher than the seasonal average of between 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
David Cain of extermination company Bed Bugs Limited told The Observer that high temperatures enable the insects to reproduce in eight or nine days, as opposed to the usual 18 to 21.
The flat, brown-colored insects survive solely on animal blood, including that of humans, dogs, cats, birds and rodents.
There is "literally no country on the face of the planet that hasn't had a bedbug problem," said Cain.
Bedbug infestations have been worsening globally since the 1990s. The problem partly lies in insects becoming resistant to extermination chemicals like DDT, a drop in vigilance towards bed bugs, and soft furnishings presenting the ideal habitat, Heather Lynch, lecturer in social work at Glasgow Caledonian University, wrote in a piece on the topic for The Conversation.
That includes the U.S., where bedbugs have made a dramatic comeback in the decade leading up to 2012 according to researchers at the University of Kentucky. Between 2004 to 2010, the number of bed bug cases in New York spiked from 537 to almost 11,000, with similar trends noted in Australia, France and China.
And last month, passengers setting off from Newark International Airport to Mumbai found bedbugs crawling on their seats during a 15-hour flight.
Read more: U.S. the most dangerous developed country yo give birth in: report
One family complained of "numerous bite marks all over" their 8-month-old baby. Air India did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The airline responded to one angry passenger's tweet: "We feel your pain and empathise."
Tony Lewis, head of policy at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, told The Observer travelers returning from holiday risk bringing back bedbugs, no matter whether they stayed at a down-market B&B or a luxury hotel. That reality was laid bare by reports in 2016 that some of New York's swankiest hotels had bedbugs according to the Bedbug Registry.
Cain warned the public to never sit on buses or trains, and check plane seats, hotel mattresses and offices chairs. Vacuuming your bed once a month is also advisable, he said.
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Kashmira Gander is Deputy Science Editor at Newsweek. Her interests include health, gender, LGBTQIA+ issues, human rights, subcultures, music, and lifestyle. Her ... Read more
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