Overview
- Infestations have increased across British cities and moved beyond homes into offices, train driver cabs and hotels, with at least one international flight grounded for deep cleaning after passenger bites were reported.
- Pest-control firms say callouts and enquiries have jumped sharply this year, with some companies reporting rises of roughly 25 to 50 percent and Valpas finding bedbugs in about one in 42 hotel rooms it monitored.
- Experts point to rising insecticide resistance in urban areas, greater human mobility and the circulation of second-hand furniture as the main drivers that let bedbugs hitch a ride between locations.
- Industry guidance and operators are shifting away from sprays toward professional heat treatments that hold rooms at about 50–52°C for sustained periods to kill adults, juveniles and eggs.
- The surge is causing repeated treatments, higher costs and more inspections for hotels, transport operators and offices and is likely to prompt stricter prevention checks and follow-up treatments in the months ahead.