Provincial Court in St. John's is officially free of bed bugs.

Exterminators carried out an extensive inspection of the fourth floor of Atlantic Place late Thursday afternoon and reported no signs of the insects.

A single bed bug was first discovered at the downtown courts in late October.

More of the bugs, along with eggs and feces, were found in mid-December. That led to full fumigation of the courts shortly before Christmas.

Chief Judge Mark Pike says follow-up inspections will continue over the coming weeks.

Bed bugs are tiny parasitic insects that feed on blood, often unnoticed, and cause itchy welts. They're also notorious for being difficult to eradicate.