Bed bug outbreaks have been widely reported across Europe since late 2023, causing a media frenzy. But is this really breaking news?
Bed bugs have been in the news recently, with the so called ‘outbreak’ of bed bugs in Paris. With Paris hosting the Olympics later this year, it has certainly become a hot topic. But was there really an outbreak in Paris or was it just a media beat up? Here we have a closer look at the current understanding of bed bug infestations around the world.
In France at the end of September 2023, news outlets started running a story about bed bug infestations in Paris. In reality, the bed bug issue had probably been developing for a while, particularly in lower socioeconomic areas and government housing. It suddenly became a more visible issue after some online videos went viral. Coupled with its timing during Paris Fashion Week and the presence of a number of highprofile attendees, the panic spread. With the Olympic Games being hosted in Paris in 2024, it was even raised in Parliament. The reality is that there has been a bed bug problem in Paris for a while – Anses, the French national health body, reported 11% of homes had been infested between 2017 and 2022. Obviously, that is a high number, but it’s not new news.
As with any panic, it can spread rapidly, if irrationally. Bed bug outbreaks quickly hit the news in London and other major European capitals and tourist hotspots. Whilst undoubtably the bed bug levels hadn’t suddenly increased overnight, one element of the panic – that bed bugs can easily spread with tourists and travellers – is certainly true, which made the sudden outbreak all the more believable.
Pest professionals around the world have seen an increase in bed bug infestations as travel has recommenced in post-Covid times. Professor Chow-Yang Lee from the University of California, Riverside relayed a personal communication from a pest professional from China during an interview at PestWorld in October 2023, commenting that hotels in China are also experiencing bed bug outbreaks since opening up to international travel last year.1
The pattern in most countries is the same. Bed bug infestations can be quite severe in lower socioeconomic areas and government housing. In such situations there isn’t the budget to deal with the problem, either from the residents themselves or the government. The problem is exacerbated with the problem of high levels of insecticide resistance in these populations. These infestations then become the source to spread to other locations in the city (for example on train and bus seats) and then for onward dispersal globally by travellers.
Bed bugs remain a big issue in the US, with severe infestations in government housing. Not surprisingly the bed bug hot spots closely correlate with the larger cities and those that are major transport hubs. Orkin lists the Top 50 Bed Bug Cities each year, determined by the cities where most treatments are carried out. Chicago remains the number one hot spot, with New York and Philadelphia taking up positions two and three. Although they have significant issues in the US, at least it drives a lot of research into new products and management techniques. New products are certainly required globally.
One of the challenges for Europe is that they have fewer products and chemicals registered for use on bed bugs. This makes controlling infestations particularly problematic, as bed bug populations with high levels of resistance to insecticides are found in every country. In Asia they also have increasing bed bug issues, although in many countries, despite the safety concerns, they still have organophosphate products registered for bed bug use. However, as Prof. Lee mentioned in his interview, he is now receiving reports from pest managers that these products are becoming less effective. Similarly in the US, pyrethroid/neonicotinoid combination products may also be proving less effective.
So, the bed bug issue is not fake news, but it’s not new news either. In Australia and New Zealand, it appears to be less of a problem. Certainly, there are occasional outbreaks in specific hotels or private residences as a result of overseas travel, but generally social housing is not suffering the major bed bug issues that we see in other countries (see Pest Pulse Bed Bug Survey 2024). If bed bugs can be kept out of social housing, or at least to a low level, it is less likely to become a front-page issue.
1 Dr. Chow-Yang on Global Bed Bug Issues, February 9, 2024. PCT Online.
