Graphic by Gabby Gagnon ‘24
Elizabeth Murray ’26
Staff Writer
Paris has been facing a bed bug infestation since just before Fashion Week 2023, Condé Nast Traveler reported — and pest sightings have not been limited to homes.
Bed bugs have been reported in movie theaters, hospitals and trains. While there isn’t a specific known source for the outbreak, it may have something to do with Paris being one of the most visited cities in the world — the last few years have seen record-breaking numbers of travelers. The breed of bed bugs currently infesting Paris can easily cling to fabric and has evolved to be more resistant to insecticides normally used by exterminators.
In 2010, New York City experienced a similar infestation to the one in Paris, Time magazine reported. Just as in Paris’ case, several species of insects — including bed bugs — developed an immunity to the chemicals most commonly used to eradicate them.
According to Wired Magazine, getting rid of bed bugs can be a costly task. In France, the average cost is 890 euros, or $937 per home. This cost can easily rise, especially in Paris, where the cost of living is notoriously much higher than in the rest of France.
Despite their heightened resistance to pesticides, the bed bugs are not invincible, according to Vox. They can be exterminated by exposure to extreme temperatures or a combination of toxic chemicals. These chemicals can be derived from plants, including the pyrethrin and pyrethroid chemicals. Other types of pesticides include desiccants, such as boric acid; biochemicals, such as oils pressed from the seeds of the Neem tree; pyrroles, which work to disrupt the cells in a bed bug’s body; and neonicotinoids, made of synthetic nicotine.
In France, there has been a growing panic surrounding the possibility of a widespread bed bug infestation, The New York Times reported. According to Wired Magazine, France has seen a 65% increase in calls to pest control services this fall.
Beyond the public health concerns, the bed bugs have been a public relations nightmare for Paris as it prepares to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, Reuters reported.
According to Reuters, the frenzy has even made its way into the French Parliament. Lawmaker Mathilde Panot brought what she claimed was a vial of bed bugs with her to parliament when she expressed her anger at the French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and the government for failing to control the infestations.
The government is working to create a list of verified pest control companies, as there have already been 40 cases of fraud, Wired Magazine reported. For those in social or publicly funded housing, a safeguard was instituted in 2020. Residents can pay four extra euros in addition to their yearly rent so that in case of an infestation of bed bugs, the state will take care of it at no charge. However, this safeguard is not foolproof — it can take weeks for a pest control company to be hired, during which an infestation only worsens.
According to Time magazine, the human body is an ideal host for bed bugs because the insects can survive off human blood as a substitute for water. The insects have existed alongside humans since early civilization and have even been depicted in cave drawings.
Time magazine explained that the bed bug population decreased in the mid-20th century with the increased usage of chemicals like dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, better known as DDT. The sale of DDT was outlawed in Europe and the United States in the 1970s after its negative impacts on the environment and human health were discovered. At around the same time, international trade increased, which made it easier for the pests to spread.
Paris Fashion Week is what initially brought attention to the bedbugs through social media. No events were canceled, and the only outcome seems to have been some attendees getting bitten and an ensuing online frenzy.