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Ireland’s rise in bedbugs blamed on trips to New York

Visitors claim infections happened in Big Apple

By
MOLLY MULDOON,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Tuesday, November 16, 2010, 5:23 AM
Updated Tuesday, November 16, 2010, 8:57 AM

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Read more: The stigma of my bug bites in New York

Bedbug exterminators in Ireland have reported a dramatic rise in the number infestations, with the Irish hotel sector particularly affected by the problem.

The rise in the unwanted bugs is partly due to the high numbers of tourists returning  to Ireland from New York, where businesses endured a bedbug epidemic this past summer.

Barely visible, the tiny blood sucking bugs can live from 10 to 18 months in suitable conditions, which means they can easily hitchhike on luggage etc. The parasites can drink three times their weight in a single meal.

The Dublin based firm, Complete Pest Control has enlisted the help of two springer spaniels which have been trained in bedbug detection.

"The problem is so serious that we have two springer spaniels who have been trained to identify bedbugs,” Trevor Hayden, owner of Complete Pest Control, told the Sunday Tribune.

“A lot of the call-outs we are dealing with are from people who have returned from New York carrying the insects. Traditionally, this is the time when a lot of Irish people go to New York shopping and they are unwittingly bringing back the insects," he added.

The Pest Control boss admitted that there is still a lot of stigma involved with having bed bugs.

"For clients in the commercial sector, such as hotels, we call out to them in unmarked vans. We then use a spray treatment to kill the bed bugs and depending on the severity of the problem, between two and four treatments can be necessary."

Recently the company carried out treatment in a taxi driver's car who had become infested after operating fares out of Dublin airport.

"I personally would rather have a rat in my house than bedbugs. We have visited places where there are over 100 of the insects and people are being eaten alive by them at night and are covered in bites," Hayden said.

Read more: The stigma of my bug bites in New York

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8 Comments

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Towngate | Nov 17, 2010, 08:08 PM EST
GeorgeDillon, Watch out! I hear the bed-bugs are joining with your feared asian cockroaches in a classic 'pincer movement'!

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GeorgeDillon | Nov 17, 2010, 02:10 PM EST
The problem is that hotel staff, be it in New York or in Dublin, are often from Third World countries where these infestations are endemic. Add to that the fact they often live in crowded and dirty conditions, because they are trying to cut back on costs in order to send money home. Conditions favor plagues such as bedbugs.

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paricaliswishes | Nov 17, 2010, 11:14 AM EST
If that'll worry ye stay at home shop online the mouse should'nt have any bed bugs .

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Towngate | Nov 16, 2010, 06:27 PM EST
Likewise,antoman. It was your MylesNagCopaleen-esque posts that got me at it!

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antoman | Nov 16, 2010, 03:29 PM EST
LOL! Towngate.

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Towngate | Nov 16, 2010, 09:43 AM EST
FOREIGN MINISTER MICHAEL MARTIN MISSING. WITH HIS CAREER ON THE LINE FOR FAILING TO STEM THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION OF BILLIONS OF AMERICAN BEDBUGS, ................Minister Martin attempted to quell public alarm by agreeing to sleep in a leading Dublin hotel frequented by Americans. .... "we can't understand it ..." a hotel spokesman said. ..."He was definitely there when he went to sleep - but he wasn't there at all when he woke up!" ..........a Garda spokesman said "AAhhh!,Shurely,'tis a great myshthery, so 'tis. mebbe 'twas d'yanks or mossad or sumtin' like that, that got him".

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antoman | Nov 16, 2010, 08:17 AM EST
Also.There should be an immediate investigation here of the identity of these Irish tourists that can afford to fly to New York and RETURN so they can be deprieved of their free cheese.

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antoman | Nov 16, 2010, 07:52 AM EST
A difficult article to believe.I mean tourists from here going to New York and actually returning?Its also a failure of American customs and Irish customs that the little mites were not detected and prevented from entering the country.If pygmies in Africa get word of this both our countries might find ourselves experiencing an influx of illegal aliens.This article might also explain how the blight fungus arrived in Ireland..on the boot of an Englishman or concealed in his pocket in a matchbox..deliberate biological warfare in the 19th century against the Irish?I'd suggest minature mouse traps and free cheese about and on the bed to trap the little divils.

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