New statistics from pest control experts show which parts of London are seeing the highest levels of bed bugs. Over the past 12 months, JG Pest Control engineers have attended almost 5,000 call-outs for bed bugs, with London easily leading the country.
Southwest London tops the postcode rankings
Sorted by postcode, southwest London leads the charts with 337 call-outs, followed by east London on 329, southeast London on 327 and north London with 266. When divided by district, the company's top 15 areas with most call-outs are dominated by boroughs around the capital.
Islington is London's bed bug capital, with 45 attended call-outs in the 12 months to October 2026, ahead of Croydon, Whitechapel and Aldgate, Poplar and Canary Wharf, and Battersea on 40 each, according to JG Pest Control call-out data.
Only two areas outside London make the top 15
Just two districts outside of Greater London make the UK's top 15 worst affected areas - east Oxford with 29 call-outs and east Brighton with 26.
Many of the worst affected areas contain a high amount of dense, fast-turnover rental housing around the centre, including a high proportion of student accommodation. Bed bugs spread through luggage, transport and second-hand furniture - so often the busiest districts are the best connected ones.
How to spot an infestation
JG Pest Control advises people to check mattress seams, bed frames and headboards for live insects, and to look out for shed skins, pepper-like droppings, and bites in lines of three or four along exposed skin.
