France facing bedbug infestation due to uptick in global travel

Bedbug fear

In Paris, France, bedbugs are running (or crawling) riot. So much so that the government has launched a bedbug hotline

The hotline is part of an anti-bedbug campaign and exists alongside a website, which provides information on measures to prevent their spread.

The website highlights that international travel and growing resistance to insecticides are responsible for the resurgence of bedbugs, which France thought that it had eradicated back in the 1950s. But, alas, they have made a comeback.

Precautions that hotel guests can take include storing their luggage on racks rather than on the floor and checking the bed, mattress and other dark areas before using them. It’s also prudent for travellers to check for bedbugs inside their suitcases once they have returned home and vacuum their luggage, being careful to empty the vacuum afterwards.

Techniques recommended by authorities to kill bedbugs and their eggs include machine washing, steam cleaning and freezing fabrics.