More households being infested with bed bugs

SINGAPORE: More households are being infested with bed bugs, said the Singapore Pest Management Association.

The association said it has been getting one to two calls island—wide every week to get rid of the bugs.

Five years ago, such calls only came once or twice a month.

A resident in Block 51 of Chin Swee Road said authorities had helped him get rid of the bed bugs last year, but the bugs returned after four months.

Tanjong Pagar Member of Parliament Dr Lily Neo told Channel NewsAsia her town council will do a thorough check to see if pest control services need to be stepped up.

The Association said that bed bug extermination usually requires three treatments as one treatment is not adequate.

Ng Say Kiat, vice—president of the Singapore Pest Management Association, said: "It’s become more common because I think there is an increase of international travelling... the increase of the use of recycled wood, like recycled furniture items and so on. So all this actually encourages the breeding of bed bugs, especially (so for) people who have poor hygiene and housekeeping habits."

— CNA/cc