Holidaymakers are bringing home a plague of bedbugs

Travellers to warm countries are chiefly to blame for a dramatic rise in the number of infestations of the bugs, say pestcontrol experts.

Other factors behind the rise include the popularity of secondhand goods and the warmer climate.

Though not dangerous, the insects' bites can cause irritation and itching and they are notoriously difficult to get rid of once established in a home.

Complaints to Rentokil about the bugs rose by 52 per cent over the last year.

The sharpest rise in outbreaks is in the Manchester area where calls have risen by 179 per cent.

Nottingham has seen an increase of 98 per cent while in North-East London calls have increased by 57 per cent.

"Bed-bug infestations are definitely on the rise," said Rentokil technical director Savvas Othon.

"This is largely due to the number of people who are now travelling and the current warm UK temperatures which are helping the bugs to spread and thrive.

"The trend for car-boot sales and second-hand furniture is aggravating the problem further.

"They are a difficult species of pest to deal with. They often lurk in hidden places such as light fittings, cracks in the TV and bed-frame screws and are becoming more resistant to insecticide."

The insects, reddish brown and about 5mm long, are attracted by body heat and carbon dioxide and feed on human blood by piercing the skin with two hollow tubes.

One tube injects its saliva, which contains anti-blood clotting agents and anaesthetics. The other is used to withdraw the blood. They can guzzle four times their own body weight in 15 minutes.

The red blotches caused by their bites are often mistaken for flea or mosquito bites and some victims can have allergic reactions to them. In extreme cases bedbugs can cause anaemia in children.

Mr Othon said: "Common signs such as blood spotting and skin bites can be seen but people may confuse these with flea bites or do not treat the whole bedroom and surrounding areas, which means that the bedbug infestation is not fully eradicated and will return."

Heavily infested mattresses may have as many as 100 bugs living on them, hiding during the day in the creases and crevices.

Poor housekeeping can be a factor in their increase, because regular cleaning can help detect the early signs of infestation.

Professional treatment is normally required to eradicate an infestation, said Rentokil.