France bedbug outbreak: How bad is the infestation? Could the bedbugs be brought back to Scotland and the UK?

One in ten French households are said to be affected by bedbugs

A bedbug outbreak in Paris and other French cities has sparked a call for action from both local authorities and French president Emmanuel Macron’s office.

With thousands of Scots travelling to France for the Rugby World Cup this month, are they at risk of bringing bedbugs back to Scotland?

Here, we take a look at the infestation of the bugs – known as “punaises de lit” in France – and the risk of them spreading here.

A product used to eradicate bedbugs at the Hygiene Premium, pest control shop in Paris. Picture: Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images

How bad is the bedbugs outbreak?

French media has reported one in ten households in France are affected by bedbugs. Official figures from pest control industry body, la Chambre syndicale de désinfection, désinsectisation et dératisation (CS3D), showing that call-outs to tackle the critters have risen by 65 per cent this summer compared to a year earlier.

In 2022, more than a million disinfection services were recorded by CS3D, compared to 977,900 in 2021 and 889,000 in 2020.

“We have five to ten times more calls than the last year at the same time – we cannot respond to all requests,” Alexandre Woog, director of Parisian pest control company Eradiq, told French newspaper Le Figaro.

A placard reading "Bed bugs" on a mattress abandoned on the pavement in a street in Marseille, southern France, this week.

In France, the outbreak has become a hot political topic.

Reports of bugs on seats on public transport, in airport waiting areas and in cinemas, have meant people are opting to travel standing – and avoid watching films in public theatres.

Health minister Aurélien Rousseau has urged people not to "give in to a general panic” over the issue, while transport chiefs have insisted videos and photos published on social media of bedbugs on SNCF trains and the Paris metro have not been verified.

It has also been claimed some rogue pest control firms are cashing in on the public’s fear, charging thousands of euros to carry out exterminations of the pests in flats and houses – often with no success. The French government has said it is considering taking measures to limit the prices charged by companies.

Why is the bedbug outbreak happening?

The insects have made a comeback over the past 30 years in many developed countries, which experts believe is due to increasingly nomadic lifestyles – as well as a trend for reusing secondhand goods and passing items between households. There is also suggestions the bugs have an increasing resistance to insecticides.

France is particularly concerned about a major outbreak a few months before the Olympic Games, which is taking place in Paris next summer and is expected to attract more than a million tourists to Paris alone.

Can bedbugs be brought back to Scotland?

Yes. If someone visits France, or anywhere else and stays in a property or hotel room with a bedbug infestation, the insects can be brought back on clothing, or even in suitcases.

Are bedbugs dangerous?

No. They cause small bites, which can be raised and itchy. However, except in very unusual circumstances, if someone has an allergic reaction to them, they are not harmful.

How do I get rid of bedbugs?

NHS advice says affected bedding and clothing should be washed on a hot wash (60C) and tumble dried on a hot setting for at least 30 minutes – or put in a plastic bag in the freezer for three or four days

The health service also suggests cleaning and vacuuming regularly, adding that while bedbugs are found in both clean and dirty places, regular cleaning will help anyone spot them early.

The advice tells people not to take luggage or clothing indoors without checking it carefully, if you have come from somewhere you know there were bedbugs, while secondhand furniture should also be carefully checked before being brought inside.

The bugs, which are flat and brown and usually around 4-5mm in length, often hide in mattress seams and crevices around the bed and can be difficult to spot.

They feed exclusively on blood, and can live up to a year without feeding. A female can lay up to 500 eggs in its lifetime, making bed bug infestations difficult to remove.

Pest control companies can treat them using bed bug heat treatment and insecticide treatments.

Is there already a bedbug problem in Scotland?

In August, pest control company Rentokil said it had received a 65 per cent increase in infestation reports in the UK compared to the previous year, suggesting there is a rise in cases here too.

There have also been specific sporadic outbreaks in recent years. In 2019, a primary school in Glasgow was given a washing machine and tumble dryer to try to help combat a bedbug infestation.