As the Paris 2024 Olympics countdown continues with less than a year left, French officials are prioritizing eradicating bedbugs - punaises de lit in French. The initiative aims to present the host city, Paris, as an example of cleanliness.
The bedbug nuisance has garnered significant attention in France. According to French media outlets, President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance party unveiled a legislative proposal to combat this "scourge" on October 3.
Bedbugs, known for their nocturnal feeding habits, can be found in various environments, like notches on mattresses, clothing and fabrics, and luggage. Their presence frequently causes a range of physical and psychological health problems, including sleep upsets, nervousness, and general misery.
Local French news sources said the bedbug menace is typical of "domestic terror."
Jean-Michel Berenger, a prominent figure in the field of entomology and an expert on bedbugs, states that "every late summer, we see a big increase in bedbugs. That is because people have been moving about over July and August, and they bring them back in their luggage.” He opined that these pests have had an exponential yearly seasonal rise.
France's Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) reported that from 2017 to 2022, over 1 in 10 French households suffered bedbug infestations.
As the week progressed, the French transport minister Clement Beaune called for a crisis meeting on Wednesday, October 4 to tackle the unfolding situation. However, by that point, the situation had already escalated. He told news outlets that “the response to a serious problem should not be a counterproductive caricature…We must take every case seriously, not fall into psychosis,” insinuating a pervasive dissemination of bedbug falsehood in public perception per media report.
A staccato of political voices have lashed out at Macron’s government's handling of the issue. In late September 2023, Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire expressed via his X handle that "no one is safe." He wrote, "Faced with a bedbug infestation, coordinated measures are needed to bring together health authorities, communities, and all relevant stakeholders to prevent the risk and act effectively."
Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire
© Photo : @egregoire/X
In a recent correspondence addressed to French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, the Paris deputy mayor highlighted a significant resurgence in bedbug incidents in the French capital. "The government must urgently bring together all the stakeholders concerned in order to deploy an action plan commensurate with this scourge," he stated.
Mathilde Panot, the La France Insoumise party’s leading figure in the French parliament, took the floor on Tuesday. Demonstratively, Panot exhibited a vial she asserted contained a bedbug, shedding light on the issue at hand: "These little insects are spreading despair in our country." She asked, "Do we need to wait for Matignon to be infested for you to react?" directed at the Prime Minister's Office.
ANSES said that the spike in bedbug infestations in recent years hinges on the surge in travel activity, which has been closely linked with the growing challenge posed by insect resistance to commonly used insecticides.
In the last few weeks, people have seen small creatures creeping on train seats and inside the busy Charles-de-Gaulle Airport in Paris. Also, complaints about encountering bedbugs in traveler's lodges and recreational facilities have been raised.
Last August, a cinema enthusiast published photos via X showing skin abrasions that indicate bedbug bites. Early September saw UGC, a well-known cinema chain, take action in response to customer queries at its Bercy theater. The company announced the introduction of bedbug-sniffing dogs.
A bug on the Eurostar train caught the passenger's attention on Monday, September 25, at 6:00 am local time. She documented the incident with photos shared on her X social media account. Eurostar stated that it “will also disinfect a train on request or as soon as there is the slightest doubt.”
A wave of anger swept through Paris last week after the subway operator confirmed that a driver had sighted bedbugs in their cabin.
The drama heightened as Paris played host to its lively fashion week. The sudden influx of prominent fashion icons worldwide fueled rumors about bedbugs.
Port authorities in Tangier, Morocco, have reported the detection of bedbugs on a passenger ship arriving from Marseille. Meanwhile, Eurostar, the operator of the Channel Tunnel express trains, has revealed plans to implement a "preventative treatment" protocol across its entire network.
A survey by Ipsos for ANSES revealed that 11 percent of French households had to deal with bed bug menace from 2017 to 2022. Interestingly, the study indicated that a household's income level did not influence the likelihood of being infested.
However, ANSES noted that the persistence of the infestation is linked to income level, as the struggle can be financially draining, averaging $866 per household. Also, in its assessment, the Agency considered the cost of nationwide control measures for French homes. The final tally for the 2017-2022 period was €1.4 billion, with an average annual cost of €230 million. Therefore, the agency recommended a mandatory reporting system and financial assistance for low-income households.