08 October 2023 , 21:55
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A bed bug expert has warned that Britain is facing an invasion of mutant 'super' bedbugs from Paris, as the French pests are growing immune to insecticides.
Nicolas Roux de Bezieux, who works for a pest control company in France, says that the notorious blood-suckers causing trouble in the French capital are 'harder to kill than ever'. The species, which has wreaked havoc on the city's transport network and has resulted in teachers refusing to go to work, is reportedly developing a resistance to pesticide sprays.
It comes as UK hotel and transport firms across are bracing themselves for extra work, as it is said to be only a matter of time before the problem reaches Britain. Nicolas, who works for the website Badbugs, warned: “It’s harder to kill them than it’s ever been."
Parisian bed bugs may be immune to pesticides (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Daily Star reports, he said: "Pest controllers have to return to kill them again because they survive the spray.” The parasites – whose bites cause painful itching – have sparked panic by infesting schools, trains and cinemas around Paris as it hosts visitors from all over the world during the Rugby World Cup tournament.
In a desperate bid to contain them, Air France has vowed to ground any aircraft with bedbugs detected on board. Eurostar has promised to disinfect its trains between London and Paris if there is the “slightest doubt” of infestation.
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And Transport for London bosses have said they are “monitoring” the Tube network. Yesterday a spokesperson said: “We are not aware of any outbreaks in London, but we will monitor our network and continue our rigorous and thorough cleaning measures which have been proven to keep both the interior and exterior of our trains clean.”
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Meanwhile staff at Millennium Hotels and Resorts, which operates 18 hotels in the UK, revealed all new guests are asked whether they have travelled from Paris. The rooms of those who have are given a deep clean by pest control experts when they leave. A manager at one of their London sites added: “As soon as the guests leave, we put that particular room out of service and we just clean everything again.”
Sharing top tips on how to avoid bed bugs while travelling, dermatologist Dr Shah, who runs TikTok account Dermdoctor, said: "Always check the crevices of your hotel mattress as soon as you check in."
When arriving in a new hotel, hostel or Airbnb, it's important to look out for the key signs that you have a bed bug issue, including eggs, blood stains and shell casings. This is a good way to check you won't be dealing with bed bugs before you settle down, and you can even alert the hotel to see if you can change for a bed bug-free room instead.
The expert also suggested storing your suitcase "as far away from your bed as possible" to minimise the travelling distance between the bed bugs and your luggage. "Always keep your dirty laundry in Ziploc bags", he added. You could use luggage liners, to protect clothes from bed bugs, or Ziploc bags if you're worried you have definitely come in contact with them.