Pest controllers have drafted in a team of sniffer dogs to track down shiver-inducing bed bugs as fear mounts over a potential UK "invasion" of the nasty critters.
France is in the midst of a bed bug crisis with Paris having been badly hit by the ordeal. The tiny, almost invisible, insects have been spotted in the country's homes, hospitals and on trains causing a public outcry.
Now there are fears the critters will migrate from France to the UK as leading pest control company Rentokil says its got a 65% increase in enquiries compared to this time last year as it plans to dispatch use sniffer dogs to tackle the problem.
READ MORE:Woman 'driven crazy' by 'evil bedbugs' claims critters feasted on her on Paris train
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Rentokil says bed bug sniffer dogs are four times more accurate at detecting early activity than visual inspections as it launches its Bed Bugs Dog Detect Monitoring. The idea is that the problem can be detected and solved quicker than relying on human's identifying there is an outbreak.
The company says they are a "cost-effective alley in protecting your premises from potential bed bug infestation". The insects typically reside in mattresses and bed frames but they can also travel via humans on clothing and in suitcases so are easily transported from one location to the next.
"Bed bugs can become a fast-growing problem for businesses such as hotels, hostels, universities, student accommodation, care homes, apartment buildings and guesthouses," Rentokil says. "Notorious for harming brand image, bed bugs are difficult to prevent as they can be brought in by unsuspecting guests and visitors in luggage and clothing."
Eurostar has announced that trains on its Paris-London service will have "preventative measures" in place amid bedbug outbreaks in the French capital recently. Visitors to the city have been sharing videos documenting the outbreak on social media.- One woman says she was attacked by "evil" bedbugs in Paris was left with horrific bites all over her body that drove her "crazy".
JG Pest control says using dogs to tackle bedbug infestations is a relatively new process but it has proved to be exceedingly effective. It's because a sniffing dog can easily pick up the natural scent that these pests emit and can find infestations much quicker than a human technician.
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