Councils see dramatic rise in bedbug call-outs

Local authorities saw a surge in pest control call-outs for bedbugs last year with freedom of information requests revealing they increased by a quarter.

FOI requests made by home insurer Direct Line found that bedbug callouts rose from 11,819 in 2022 to 14,587 in 2023.

Cockroach call-outs rose by 3% over the same period and visits for rat and mice infestations fell by 1% to 272,122.

Direct Line’s research also revealed that only 8% of councils offer free pest removal services, with the majority charging fees ranging from £10 to £264.