Could London be hit by Paris’s bedbug outbreak? What to know

The French capital has seen hotels, cinemas, swimming pools, public transport and more see a mass increase in bed bugs. 

As French authorities share that “no-one is safe” in Paris, many Londoners are concerned that the blood-sucking pests could be making their way to London.

But, as the neighbouring capital battles bedbugs, London authorities have shared updates and experts are offering advice.

A bedbug. (Image: Getty)

Could the bedbug outbreak hit London?

Whilst there is no exact answer on whether the bugs could hit London, Transport for London have shared they are monitoring outbreaks, according to The Independent.

It comes as some have expressed their concerns that bedbugs could make their way onto the Eurostar and later the London Underground.

As a TfL spokesperson told The Independent: “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.”

Eurostar, also confirmed that they would be increasing “preventative treatments” on the network to stop a bedbug outbreak.

A person with bedbugs bites. (Image: Getty)

How to tell if you have bedbugs?

If you are worried or think you may be infested by bedbugs, these are some key signs to look out for according to the NHS.

• bites – often on skin exposed while sleeping, like the face, neck and arms
• spots of blood on your bedding – from the bites or from squashing a bedbug
• small brown spots on bedding or furniture (bedbug poo)

What to do if you have bedbugs

If you have bedbugs you will need to contact your local council or pest control service.

Unfortunately, it is very hard to get rid of bedbugs as they can be hard to find and may be resistant to some insecticides.

However, you can wash the affected seat at 60C or place affected clothing and bedding in a plastic bag and freeze it for at least four days.

You will also need to clean the area in both bedbug-affected areas and the clean areas.