France bedbug problem: Locals throw mattresses on the streets in Paris, Marseilles
It’s something the country is trying to combat – but the situation has become such a problem locals have had no choice but to do this.
The bedbug plague has continued to wreak havoc in France with locals dumping hoards of mattresses in the streets of Paris and Marseilles.
Footage has gone viral on social media that shows walkways littered with abandoned mattresses as the French government tries to combat the infestation of the bloodsucking insects.
Some discarded mattresses and home furnishings have signs that read “bedbugs” to warn others not to take them.
One clip also shows a local with a mattress over his shoulder as he looks to add it to a pile against a wall.
Last week, officials held a series of meetings to examine surging numbers of reported bedbug cases, with France set to host the Rugby World Cup this weekend, and the Paris 2024 Olympics.
And it’s not just homes that are affected — public transport and even hotels have fallen victim.
On tourist took to TikTok in a now-viral clip revealing he was bitten by bedbugs in his Airbnb.
“We were staying in Paris and suspected bedbugs in our Airbnb,” he said in the clip that’s amassed 3.3 million views.
“We were checking the mattress and couldn’t find them but still kept getting bites.
“We then saw a dermatologist who told us the bites were from bedbugs.”
He said he told the Airbnb host who then hired a sniffer dog to look for the bedbugs.
“The search started in the kitchen and the living room. The dog didn’t find anything so we tried the bedroom.
“The dog found something so it stopped moving so the handler can inspect closer.”
Bedbugs were found on the side of the mattress of their bed.
Meanwhile, school have also been affected as five were shut down last Friday, affecting 1500 students.
“We have almost 60,000 institutions and we’re only talking about a few dozen here, but it’s true that cases are piling up,” Education Minister Gabriel Attal told AFP.
“An immediate response is needed, so that we can have institutions treated within 24 hours.” He said a list of “approved and recognised” companies had been prepared in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and regional health agencies “so that the heads of schools can have the contacts and have them intervene very quickly”.
One-tenth of all French households are believed to have had a bedbug problem over the past few years, usually requiring a pest control operation costing several hundred euros which often needs to be repeated.
The blood-sucking insects have been spotted in the Paris metro, high-speed trains and at Paris’s Charles De Gaulle Airport.
Disgusted travellers have shared videos of bedbugs crawling over train seats, with one clip alone attracting 3.8 million views.
âš¡ï¸On high-speed trains in France, more and more passengers are complaining about bedbugs.
— Tay Keith 🇷🇺 (@Germaarig) September 24, 2023
The main complaints come from the Paris-Lille and Paris-Nice directions 😂 pic.twitter.com/JA9q1Caee0
But the individual cases have not been confirmed by the authorities and RMC TV reported that a probe by Paris transport operator RATP had found no bedbugs on its services.
Transport minister Clement Beaune took to X to explain he was convening representatives from public transport operators this week “to inform them about countermeasures and how to do more for the protection of travellers”.
He said the aim was to “reassure and protect”.
His post last week came a day after Emmanuel Gregoire, first deputy mayor of Paris, wrote a letter on behalf of City Hall calling on Prime Minister Elizabeth Borne to act on the “scourge”.
“Bed bugs are a public health problem and should be reported as such,” he wrote.
“The state must urgently bring together all concerned in order to enact an action plan appropriate with this scourge as all of France prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024.”
Speaking to French TV station LCI on Friday, Mr Gregoire called the phenomenon “widespread”.
“You have to understand that in reality no one is safe, obviously there are risk factors but in reality, you can catch bedbugs anywhere and bring them home,” he said.
In 2020, the French government launched an anti-bedbug campaign, which included a dedicated website and an information hotline.
International travel and increasing resistance to insecticides are to blame for the critters’ resurgence, according to the website.
France’s national health agency recommended people check their hotel beds when travelling and be cautious about bringing second-hand furniture or pre-owned mattresses into their homes.
What are bedbugs?
According to Healthdirect Australia, bedbugs are small oval-shaped and flat insects that can grow up to 5mm long.
And while they need to feed on blood to grow, they are resilient and can live for up to a year without a feed.
“Bed bugs tend to live in cracks and crevices in and around your bed, especially in mattress seams and travel on clothing, furniture, bedding and luggage,” the site reads.
More Coverage
“They prefer to feed on humans but will also feed on other warm-blooded animals. They mainly feed at night.”
To help prevent bedbugs it advises to avoiding using second-hand mattresses, regularly check your bed and keep your bedroom tidy to minimise hiding spots.
– with AFP
Qantas pilot named as crash victim
A Qantas pilot has been named as one of three victims who died in a horror mid-air crash in Sydney on Saturday.
Five injured in gas explosion at campground
Five people have been injured in a gas explosion at a campground in South Australia, with two of them in a serious condition.
Seaplane ditches into ocean at holiday hotspot
An investigation is underway after a seaplane carrying five people ditched into the ocean at a popular tourist hotspot.