Paris is currently facing a substantial bedbug infestation just nine months before the city is set to host the next summer’s Olympic Games.
These tiny but resilient pests, about the size of a grain of rice, are increasingly appearing in various locations across the city, including trains, Charles de Gaulle airport, hotels, cinemas, and homes.
Currently in Paris online videos show these pesky insects crawling over seats on the Paris metro, on high-speed trains, and even at Paris’ Charles-de-Gaulle airport. Sightings have also been reported at hospitals, cinemas, and schools throughout the city.
The bedbug infestation has Parisians and visitors alike scratching their heads as they try to manage this unexpected and unwelcome development during a time of excitement for the Rugby World Cup.
There are concerns that the infestation might be spreading around the world, as bedbugs can easily survive a two-hour Eurostar journey from Paris to King’s Cross.
According to Johanna Fite, an expert from France’s national health, the spread of bedbugs in Paris is primarily due to the movement of people and increasing resistance to insecticides.
