Most holiday accommodation in New Zealand has been affected by at least one bed bug outbreak, while some are dealing with it on a monthly basis, a specialist in pest eradication believes.
Bed bugs feed on human blood during the night and hide in or near the bed during the day. They move around the world in luggage.
David Brittain, of the company Kiwicare, says a ban on DDT and more people travelling means the population of bed bugs has increased more than 10-fold over the past decade.
Tourists should use an insecticide to spray luggage before travelling, let management know if there are signs of the insect in the room and set luggage on a rack, not on the bed, he advises.
Mr Brittain says bed bugs are not a sign of unsanitary conditions.
