PARIS: Parisian hotels are arming themselves against bed bugs ahead of the Olympic Games this summer, reported German news agency (dpa).
According to the newspaper Le Parisien, insect exterminators in the capital are already receiving bookings for hotel room inspections with sniffer dogs. Hoteliers are going to great lengths to ensure their rooms are free of the parasites.
The hotels don’t want negative advertising with a photo of a bed bug on a booking platform, so they have organised a preventive check of their rooms, the president of the syndicate of experts for the detection of bed bugs by dogs, Sébastien Pizzocaro, told the newspaper.
“Early infestations can be detected before the arrival of the big waves of tourists,“ he said.
Each room inspected costs around €30 (US$33). If bed bugs are found, the exterminators can eradicate them with a vapour treatment.
The Summer Olympic Games are planned from July 26 to Aug 11, 2024, followed by the Paralympic Games from Aug 28 to Sept 8, 2024.
Last summer, a veritable hysteria about bed bugs broke out in France. People increasingly reported the presence of alleged or actual bed bugs from trains, cinemas and other places – often accompanied by photos.
The authorities recently announced that the spread of bed bugs in France has actually increased in recent years. Between 2017 and 2022, an estimated 11 per cent of French households were affected by bed bugs.
The bugs suck blood and live in enclosed spaces. They hide in beds, furniture joints or cracks. Bed bugs are now resistant to practically all over-the-counter insecticides, so professional help is often the only way to eliminate them.
–Bernama-dpa
