The Pest Advice

Paris has recently been added to the list of the world’s major cities to have bed bug infestations hit the headlines. See here.

I don’t believe that the bed bugs have been transported there from New York or London, any more than they have been transported in the other direction. Bed bugs have been in Paris, London, New York, Auckland, Christchurch, Wanganui ………..and everywhere people have lived in numbers for many years, probably millions. What the increasing media frenzy is due to is increasing numbers of infestations and the consequent increasing transport of bed bugs from one place to another. This is a world wide phenomena.

While we should be vigilant and protect ourselves from being unwitting vectors of infestation, bed bugs are still rare. The New Zealand accommodation industry is pro-active in preventing bed bugs and dealing with a problem quickly when it arises. We, the travellers, can help by ensuring we take care to treat our luggage before travelling and to check rooms where we sleep both here and abroad. Don’t lay luggage on beds or floors, and use the luggage racks where the bugs are less able to ‘hitch a ride’ in your case.

New York, Paris, London, Auckland, …..bed bugs are coming to a hotel/motel near you. Are you safe? No one is.

There are two bed-bugs in Paris. One says to the other “Let’s go to the Hilton. I hear the drink is tasty but non-fattening there.”