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Original poster

Bed bugs invade Paris

139 replies

ohsuzannah · 03/10/2023 12:18

news.sky.com/story/cost-of-living-latest-paris-france-bedbugs-train-strikes-nhs-doctors-greggs-airbnb-12615118

Omg my skin is crawling reading this, I'm so glad I'm not travelling this year 😰

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
spitefulandbadgrammar · 04/10/2023 13:28

Roaringkittens · 04/10/2023 13:20

Is it ok to use a normal hoover to clean dust up after or do you have to be careful of breaking it?

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We used our normal hoover BUT you can’t just empty the bag into the bin, dust flying everywhere – and any alive bugs flying anywhere. Do it outside, inside a bin bag, double bag it and tie firmly, transport the hoover inside a bag, etc, and wash all the parts.

Frankly sometimes I thought it would be easier to simply burn the house down.

Roaringkittens · 04/10/2023 13:49

@spitefulandbadgrammar thank you 👍🏻

Roaringkittens · 04/10/2023 13:50

swanteapot · 04/10/2023 13:23

here is a thread where people are discussing the dangers of DE and alternatives
https://www.reddit.com/r/LifeProTips/comments/11jkqpk/lpt_how_to_kill_bed_bugs_effectively_and/

great, thanks!

wayyour · 04/10/2023 13:51

Apparently Indorex (main purpose fleas, treats whole house for over a year) works for bed bugs.

Though if you found them in a hotel wouldn't that be worthy of a refund?

Autumnunmasks · 04/10/2023 14:04

spitefulandbadgrammar · 04/10/2023 13:28

We used our normal hoover BUT you can’t just empty the bag into the bin, dust flying everywhere – and any alive bugs flying anywhere. Do it outside, inside a bin bag, double bag it and tie firmly, transport the hoover inside a bag, etc, and wash all the parts.

Frankly sometimes I thought it would be easier to simply burn the house down.

Show quote history

🤣

InterFactual · 04/10/2023 14:05

wayyour · 04/10/2023 13:51

Apparently Indorex (main purpose fleas, treats whole house for over a year) works for bed bugs.

Though if you found them in a hotel wouldn't that be worthy of a refund?

This sounds a lot easier than the scorched earth techniques people have been suggesting. So what's the catch? Why don't people just spray this stuff everywhere once a year and job done?

wayyour · 04/10/2023 14:15

I don't know. It's not marketed for anything but fleas, but we've used it successfully for weevils (these were the worst thing we've experienced as far as insects go) coming from an old part of the house during renovation, and ants.

We originally bought the indorex to spray the whole house for fleas after a couple of rescue kittens brought them into the house. I read online that it could be used for other things. I think it was here that I read it can work against bed bugs.

HelloSunshine11 · 04/10/2023 14:15

We have them in our flat in London after having a tenant in for a while. It's a fucking nightmare. We've had professional pest control out but three weeks later they're still biting.

wayyour · 04/10/2023 14:19

I'm not sure how environmentally friendly it is (warnings on the back) and you need to wear a mask to spray then air the rooms out afterwards. Though you can spray it onto furniture and fabrics including pet beds. I haven't used it for a couple of years, and only would as a last resort (we'd tried everything else first in case of the weevils).

I don't know if it's something hotels would be allowed to use?

WinterDeWinter · 04/10/2023 14:25

I've just checked and if fact we used CimeXa instead of diatomaceous earth - it's generally thought to be both more effective and safer for lungs. I'm just about to do it again as a preventative but having read around a bit I will be wearing a mask and not using the puffer very much to avoid it getting airborne.

IMustDoMoreExercise · 04/10/2023 14:27

Insertoriginalnamehere · 04/10/2023 13:25

I got bitten to death by bedbugs in a villa one year, it's not a problem exclusive to hotels.

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No, indeed they can be found in all public and non-public places. Basically, anywhere where humans are.

Peachonthebeach · 04/10/2023 14:57

Just for those asking. It’s most certainly not the policy of ALL hotels to refund. My experience was the hotel tried to say I’d brought them myself, despite handing a few offenders over the reception counter at 5am. The TripAdvisor reviews of the hotel at the bottom end of stars were full of pics of other people photographing them too, I hadn’t checked the one star reviews.
They told me I must have picked them up on the tube,(london, common) it’s really hard to prove.

PurpleChrayne · 04/10/2023 15:02

We are regressing to medieval times.

cushioncovers · 04/10/2023 15:46

HelloSunshine11 · 04/10/2023 14:15

We have them in our flat in London after having a tenant in for a while. It's a fucking nightmare. We've had professional pest control out but three weeks later they're still biting.

They lay eggs in three week cycles i believe. You need to have three treatments at three weeks apart each. That's what I had to have to break the egg laying cycle.

Caspianberg · 04/10/2023 16:52

I read they are killed by heat (50+) and cold (-10). So you need to heat or freeze basically.

If it helps reassure people, we have a holiday rental. It’s been rented 6 years and never had bedbugs. So I don’t think it’s likely that a huge % of places you stay have them.

I have a hand held steam cleaner I steam clean the mattresses with. And bedding is always washed at 60 degrees and then hot tumble dried. The actual duvets and pillows are also regularly washed hot.

WinterDeWinter · 04/10/2023 18:32

The problem is that only a percentage of them will be in or on the bed at any time - the rest will be in cracks under the skirting, behind the mirror or socket, etc etc. Awful things.

We got them when our neighbours got them and had heat treatment. Apparently it takes a while for the heat treatment to reach death temperature and in the meantime they will find any exit route they can, including through any small spaces around joists etc.

Trickofthetrade · 04/10/2023 18:36

Does anyone know if they can be found on an exterior wall ???

Mytholmroyd · 04/10/2023 19:53

Starsstarsstarss · 04/10/2023 09:41

Metal bed frames are better. Apparently bed bugs like wooden beds.

Yep! I wouldn't have a wooden/fabric bed frame and I never have it against the wall!

One place I stayed in a few years ago - lovely B&B - I found them all lined up in the pressed folds in the seams of the lovely white bedlinen.

My kids have laughed at me for years about this but when they come back from a dodgy trip they steip on the back yard and go straight in the shower whilst I deal with the baggage. I love in fear of getting them in the house.

Original poster
ohsuzannah · 05/10/2023 00:29

Peachonthebeach · 03/10/2023 19:48

They are massive, as big as a little ladybird 😩 I stayed at a London Hotel (well known chain) and the smell of the room when I entered was so strange, like almonds/marzipan. I fell asleep , watched tv for an hour or so and awoke with a sore red rash all over my face . Weirdly within hours my child had something similar , I figured it was some new face cream we’d bought.
anyway I woke in the night, switched the light on and could see them walking up the walls. Horribly, I’d left my case open on the floor and found a further one inside , and on inspection the carpet had loads in 🙈🙈🙈.
Apparently they do have a really distinctive almondy smell when they’re plentiful, I’ll know it immediately if I ever (heaven forbid) smell it again, it’s really unusual.

OMG that is awful 😣

OP posts:
Mouthulcer · 05/10/2023 20:51

I have found my people! I've been worried about bed bugs for years. Friends and family think I am insane.

I'm incapable of enjoying a holiday as even with no evidence I stay on high alert. I always check on arrival, never leave clothes lying around on beds, and wash and freeze everything on return (as well as freeze anything DH brings from the charity shop). I'm considering buying a chest freezer just so the suitcases can also in there.

I also never sit on public transport.

@Mytholmroyd i am glad that your DC find it funny. Mine are still little and I wasn't sure if I would be passing on anxieties to them. But I can't bear the thought of them going on sleepovers or school trips and coming back with bed bugs! Even my kids school bag goes in the garage just in case and gets frozen every holiday.

I'm glad there is more awareness of them now and I'm not the only one fighting the fight!

SorryWorry · 05/10/2023 22:01

@Mouthulcer I have a chest freezer solely for that purpose. No food has ever actually been in there! DH travels extensively with work and it's the only way I can cope with it.

Pallisers · 05/10/2023 22:20

We had them just before the pandemic/lockdown (thanks college going son who doesn't react to the bites). Luckily confined to just 2 bedrooms - mostly my son's.

To be honest, it was easier dealing with lockdown. I was probably certifiably insane when doing the "bag everything for 2 weeks" treatment - 3 times. And then it didn't work completely. I got in a sniffer dog (trained in the university of Florida no less) and then heat treatment - that dealt with them completely.

We had redecorated just before this. I still got rid of our 4 gorgeous wooden beds with underbed storage. Got rid of the custom made fabric headboards. Got rid of all mattresses etc.

They are a nightmare and we were able to throw money at the problem. I feel so so sorry for anyone trying to deal with this without money. soul destroying.

Apparently they are everywhere in NYC - including swanky hotels.

Someone else told me they are in cinemas too.

I now check every bed I stay in. I have a heat treatment capsule thing for luggage. We have metal beds and covered mattresses and pillows. I check everything very carefully. And I have superdog and the lovely heat treatment people in my phone.

The thing is every single pest control person I spoke to about this is really really careful themselves - all clothes from luggage go straight into the drier at high heat for 40 minutes before even washing. They take it seriously.

Mouthulcer · 05/10/2023 22:29

@Pallisers ooo heat treatment thing tell me more! Should I get this rather than chest freezer. Waiting 4 days is such a pain!

Are you in the UK? I didn't know they had the sniffer dogs here.