Night night, sleep tight, dont let the bed-bugs bite…

"Night night, sleep tight, dont let the bed-bugs bite…" Its long been a favourite rhyme to send children off to sleep. But with experts warning of a worldwide bedbug pandemic, will any of us be able to sleep once weve turned out the light?, asks Tom de Castella.

Vampire fiction may be all the rage. But the true bloodsuckers after twilight are not charismatic updates of Dracula but tiny insects living in our mattresses, headboards and pillows. Yes, bed-bugs are back with a vengeance and pest controllers are warning of a global pandemic.

around the world by the University of Kentucky and the United States National Pest Management Association, appears to show that the bed-bug problem is increasing everywhere.

"The results of the global study suggest that we are on the threshold of a bed-bug pandemic, not just in the United States, but around the world," said Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for NPMA.

A study led by experts at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine last year showed between 2000 and 2006 calls concerning bed-bugs increased by an average of 28.5% a year. And theres no sign of the problem abating with Rentokil reporting the number of bed-bug call outs has gone up by 24% in the first half of the year.