Cumbrian holidaymakers and travellers are being advised not to panic as Paris deals with a widespread bed bug infestation.
Scare stories and dramatic social media coverage have washed over the internet in the past week, with claims being that people are at risk of bringing back the pests on clothes or in suitcases.
Videos of bedbugs on trains and buses in London have also been circulating wildly, gaining millions of views on TikTok and YouTube as fears grow that the outbreak is moving to the UK – but is there really a chance that travelling will bring bedbugs back to Cumbria?
According to Martin Russell-Bromley, owner of Carlisle City Control, a pest control service that regularly deals with the critters, it’s very possible, but nothing to seriously panic about.
Martin, who’s owned his business for five years, said that while bedbugs are a nuisance, there are ways to take preventative measures against them.
He said: “I would put travel down as one of the biggest reasons for infestations. It used to be that you’d think they were coming from cheaper hostels or backpacking places, but that’s changed.
“It can be any accommodation now, you can pick them up from anywhere. But people are moving more than they ever did and with that movement there’s higher chances of more infestations.
“Bed bug infestations can be quite serious, they’re probably up there with the hardest insect to treat because of their biology, they’re very flat. They can hide in cracks and light sockets behind a wall. They tuck themselves in those kind of places, so they can be really hard to treat.”
How can I prevent bringing bedbugs home when I’m travelling?
While bedbugs are able to hitch rides in luggage, personal belongings, cars and planes – there are ways to prevent accidentally bringing them home.
Martin said: “There’s various things you can do. I would personally be looking at reviews of the places you’re going to stay and there’s an argument for not spreading your clothing around a hotel room.
“Some people would also say to use plastic travel bags that go inside your suitcase to protect your clothes and to wash your clothes straight away when you get them home.
“When I go abroad somewhere I use an insecticidal spray on and around my suitcase. But you can also actually see the signs of bedbugs even if you’re not properly trained.”
Martin added that there’s a misconception that bedbugs are tiny enough to not be visible when in reality, the adults can be as big as ladybirds.
Once in your accommodation, Martin said it was a good idea to check bed bug hotspots in your room, including headboards, mattress piping or buttons.
He said: “Bedbugs are also really clever, they know when you’re sleeping and that’s when they come out. They like to be close to a sleeping person so they can get on and off their food source fast.
“I have experienced more cases in the past four or five years, but we’re lucky in Carlisle that we don’t have many tower blocks for housing where infestations spread easily.
“Unfortunately a lot of the places struggling with them are bed and breakfasts or Airbnb type places and that goes in hand with travel, but I wouldn’t blame hotels for that increase.”
According to the experts, bed bug cases have increased over a period of several years due to them becoming resistant to pesticides.
What are the warning signs of an infestation?
While the biggest sign of an infestation is actually spotting the bugs in your home, there are other signs that may appear before the bugs themselves.
Early signs of a problem can include an ‘unusual’ musty smell without a clear cause. When threatened, the bugs emit alarm pheromones which can smell faintly of raspberries, coriander or almonds.
But in severe bed bug cases, the smell becomes rusty due to large amounts of dead pugs and shed shell casings.
Red itchy bites on your body, small blood stains, tiny dark brown marks or rice grain shaped eggs on your bedding are also warning signs of an infestation.
Martin added: “I always ask people first if they’re sure they have an infestation. Insecticide should be used as a last resort, so getting people like myself in just in case is not the right way to tackle a problem.
“But if a person definitely has a problem, I book them in for a crack and crevice treatment with a contact insecticide on their floors, mattresses or anywhere that is harbouring them.
“You can buy this stuff over the counter, but in my experience people trying to fix an infestation on their own struggle to gain control of the situation. Bedbugs are up there with fleas, sometimes just one treatment isn’t enough and follow up treatments are needed.
“In a hotel, you can’t just treat one room, you have to treat all the rooms and corridors because the bugs can move away from the insecticide, so treating just one room is not best practice. The same goes for a three bedroomed house.”
With options in place for people struggling with bedbugs, Martin added that in his opinion, the situation in Paris is not worth getting worked up about.
He said: “I’m not concerned. People can get hyped up and take action that probably isn’t needed with knee jerk reactions. There’ll be mattresses being thrown out that have never had a bed bug on them and most hotels never have a problem.
“People just need to be vigilant, like they would with any other issue, yes you can pick the up from planes and trains but I’m not seeing major increases in bed bug calls right now.
“They’re uncomfortable and while the bites don’t hurt they’re itchy and can cause infections, so I understand why folk are concerned, but there are pest control people out there to help, me being one of them. Infestations can be put right if the right people are used to fix it.”
Anyone concerned looking for advice on bedbugs or infestations is able to call Martin, who said advice and guidance is free.
Martin launched Carlisle City Control in 2016 and works with over 90 businesses in contract.
