Paris, the city of love, is currently struggling with an unpleasant problem: bed bugs. The annoying pests are spreading not only in the city, but also beyond. The French government is now taking drastic measures and has even temporarily closed schools to control the plague. Exterminators are seeing an increase in France this summer of orders by 65 percent .
According to a survey, almost one in ten households in France is infested with bed bugs. Emmanuel Grégoire, a deputy at the Paris City Hall, called on the French government to come up with a plan to combat the “sharp increase” in bed bugs. But that’s not easy, because in France there is no obligation to report these little pests. At the same time, the government is worried about visitor numbers because the Summer Olympics are scheduled to take place in Paris next year and the bed bug infestation could deter travelers.
Is the big crawl starting in this country too?
What many people don’t even realize is that bed bugs could also become a problem in Germany. Holidaymakers and tourists can also bring the parasites into this country. “In principle, it should be noted that any bedbug infestation is not related to the hygienic conditions in a house,” emphasizes a spokeswoman for the German Hotel Association (IHA) when asked by FOCUS online. “Bedbugs are brought in by guests who travel far,” said the spokeswoman. Exterminators will confirm this upon request. The small insects do not come because a hotel is not clean, but because they nest there through guests who are infested. Eight companies that FOCUS contacted online at random across the country are not reporting an increased demand for exterminators. However, hotel operators would contact us much more often to ask about protective measures.
Hotels declined to comment when contacted. However, companies emphasized that the mattresses are cleaned and turned regularly. Nevertheless, hotels report that employees are more sensitive to possible traces. And that’s not a bad idea. Simon Rosendahl, an exterminator from Mülheim, assumes that bed bugs will appear in one place or another in this country after the autumn holidays. However, he has not yet recorded an increase in orders.
“Bed bugs are mainly found in shared accommodation,” says the German Pest Control Association when asked. The majority of customers who come to pest controllers because of bed bugs are in accommodations where the residents change relatively frequently.
If bed bugs occur in a hotel, the operator does not even have to report the infestation to the health department or the authorities. The food and hospitality trade association writes: “Getting rooms free of bed bugs again is difficult and should therefore definitely be left to a professional pest controller.” Pests are particularly resistant and in many cases the exterminator has to come out several times to get the infestation under control.
The German Pest Control Association is at least giving the all-clear. “This hype that is currently going on in France is pretty incomprehensible to all of us,” emphasizes Kai Scheffler, chairman of the association’s board. There is no current cause for the increased occurrence of the pests. The association representative does not have any statistics on infestations.
What do I have to consider on my vacation in Paris or France?
Basically, bed bugs do not currently transmit any diseases. However, the bites can cause severe rashes, and the thought of sharing a bed with bedbugs is daunting.
If you want to protect yourself, you should use disposable bed sheets against bed bugs. These are usually so slippery that the animals cannot get hold of them and slip off. A set of disposable bed sheets costs between 10 and 20 euros in online shops.
Before travelers pack their dirty laundry into their suitcase, the items of clothing should be shaken vigorously in the bathtub or shower. The same thing should be repeated after returning to Germany. You can simply rinse the creepy crawlies away in the bathroom. Under no circumstances should the suitcase be opened on the bed or on the floor.
If you discover bed bugs in your hotel room, contact hotel staff immediately. As a rule, guests then receive another room.
How do I recognize the pests?
You can recognize bed bugs by three important factors.
- Odor : Bed bugs secrete a sweet secretion to protect themselves from enemies. You can smell this smell by, for example, tapping on the mattress.
- Black dots: Black or brown spots around light switches, electrical outlets, baseboards and similar hiding places are signs of bed bugs. These are traces of feces. These traces can also be found on the slatted frame.
- Stitches on the body: Bed bug bites can look very different from person to person. For some sufferers, no stitches are visible, while others have a severe allergic reaction. Very important: The bugs bite in one place several times before they can vacuum successfully.