Bugging out
Anyone who’s seen itch-inducing videos of creepy-crawly-infested metro seats on social media will know that Paris is starting to earn an unwanted reputation.
Indeed, the growing numbers of bed bugs — or "punaises de lit" — has become a major issue in the French capital: the Parisian deputy mayor announced that “no-one was safe”, impacting everything from cinemas to hospitals. And, with preparations well underway in the host city for the 2024 Olympics, the pressure is on to quell the bugs quickly, with concerned tourists jumping to Wikipedia to read up on the pests in English and French.
Put to bed
So, how concerned should we be about the Parisian problème? Even though the London-Paris Eurostar is taking preventative measures, no major outbreaks stemming from France have been reported in the UK — let alone the US, despite TikTok searches for #bedbugs booming.
Nevertheless, the outbreak is unusual in its timing, as bed bug activity tends to peak at the end of summer as the insects thrive in warm temperatures — a pattern reflected in Google searches. Even so, as highlighted by the French Health Minister, the rise in bed bug sightings may not be a matter of Paris being “invaded” as much as an indication of bed bugs proliferating everywhere due to increased travel and the bug's growing resistance towards insecticides.
