André Williams, STAR Writer

The Ministry of Education is dispelling widely circulated reports that their head office has been infested with bedbugs, or what Jamaicans call chinks.

Our news team has received reports from employees that bedbugs have been seen in sections of the building. Bedbugs are normally active at nights but are not exclusively nocturnal. They are parasites, feeding on their victims before retreating to warm hiding places.

Workers told THE Weekend Star team,which visited the agency on Wednesday, that they were aware of the situation. One speaking on condition of anonymity said: "There maybe instances but not the entire building".

THE WEEKEND STAR was told that based on talks around the ministry, things were becoming scary.

not authorised

But Byron Buckley, director of corporate communications in the Ministry, said: "I haven't heard that and therefore I cannot confirm."

Deon Duncan, the ministry's director of facilities management, neither confirmed nor denied the reports.

Duncan said she was not authorised to speak with the media and directed us to the communications unit.

Meanwhile, Judienne Robinson-Letford, business manager at Kilopest Limited and executive board member at Jamaica Pesticide Association said a study has revealed that bedbugs live in any articles of furniture, clothing, or bedding so they or their eggs may be present in used furniture or clothing.

The insects spread by crawling and may contaminate multiple rooms in a home or even multiple dwellings in apartment buildings.

The study says bedbugs do not pose any health risks from communicable diseases, but their saliva can leave itchy red welts on some people.