Croissants, red wine – and bed bugs. Paris is crawling with little pests. How dangerous are these blood-suckers really and will they spread all over Europe?
France is facing a new epidemic: bed bugs are all over Paris and other parts of the country. The public is scared and disgusted, as the little blood-suckers have been spotted in cinemas and on public transport. Are they dangerous or simply bothersome? How to cope with bed bug infestations and how to prevent it.
What a time to be alive – for bed bugs. They are all over hotels, public transport and private homes. Even though the little pests have been around for a long time, the problem becomes more pressing in current days. Due to frequent traveling, worldwide trade, and transport you can’t escape them. Especially in recent years, the numbers of bed bugs in Paris increased after or during summer – peak season for traveling. This trend is becoming more pronounced every year.
The most common bed bug is Cimex lectularius, from the Cimicidae family. They are obligate hemotrophs, meaning they rely on blood as a food source. They can often be found under mattresses and textiles, mainly appearing at night while hiding during the day. Sleeping humans are perfect hosts for bed bugs. A single feeding occasion lasts ten to 20 minutes on average, leaving itchy red spots. When feeding regularly (up to once a week) females produce up to seven eggs a day for ten days and over 500 over their lifetime. Eggs hatch within two weeks, resulting in high numbers of bugs over a short period. C. lectularius can survive up to a year without a single feeding event.
Here’s the good news: Bed bugs do not transmit diseases when feeding on humans. Their bites might itch, but they aren’t dangerous. Should patients experience discomfort, doctors can recommend low-dosage cortisone cremes, but even without treatment the itchiness usually resides within a few days. Allergic reactions are relatively rare, as well as bacterial infections from bites. Symptoms of bed bug bites are sometimes similar to allergic reactions to house dust mites. Doctors can perform allergy tests to be on the safe side.
Patients should additionally check beds and home textiles for bed bugs, droppings, or eggs. Their droppings are easy to spot: they leave dark brown marks on textiles, as they consist of digested blood.
Due to the excessive use of dichlordiphenyltrichlorethan (DDT) – a very potent insecticide that is now regulated – bed bug strands have developed a resistance to a lot of chemicals and are not easy to kill. Spreading has become easier for pests: crammed trains, highly frequented public spaces and a general increase in travel are to thank. Thus, the problem is not limited to big cities but affects whole countries, as seen in France. Once the situation gets out of hand, it’s difficult to get rid of. The French government aims to create a plan on how to resolve this pressing matter – but it’s not that easy.
The parts of society that are strongly affected and can become super spreaders are often poorer or sick and can’t tend to themselves properly. So even if the government implements new regulations and efforts to get rid of bed bugs, a lot of people won’t be able to afford professional cleaning of their house. Considering the bugs’ resistance towards insecticides, steam treatments are often the only viable solution – but they are expensive.
When dealing with an infestation, all textiles have to be treated with either heat (temperatures above 60 °C) or cold (below -5 °C for at least five days) to kill off bugs and their eggs. This is also recommended as a prevention measure, as eggs could be transmitted via clothing in public spaces and especially public transport. Bed bugs do not comply with border control – this epidemic could easily spread to other countries which is why people need to be more aware when traveling. Checking beds, matrasses and other textiles is recommended for risk areas such as Paris. If necessary, professional pest control can check apartments for bed bugs as well as offer advice on prevention measures and solutions to already existing infestations.
In light of hosting the Olympic Games next year, the French government has a special interest to get rid of the little bugs as soon as possible – and resolve this truly skin-crawling matter.
Image source: Created with Midjourney
