Paris Fashion Week Bed Bugs Spark Concern Over Worldwide Epidemic

While Paris Fashion Week has ended, it seems that bed bugs may have found a new opportunity to thrive, courtesy of some Hollywood A-listers returning to the United States.

Not only has an organization specializing in pest control issued a stern warning regarding this situation, but social media users have also expressed concerns about the unfolding situation.

Amid the endless speculation, Dr. Jim Fredericks, a board-certified entomologist, revealed that even though bed bugs are adept hitchhikers, there are precautions that celebrities can take to prevent the potential nightmare of an epidemic. 

Tthe Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the National Pest Management Association detailed that celebs who attended Paris Fashion Week, including those who stayed at hotels — even the swanky ones, needed to do a thorough search for live bugs in their beddings and luggage.

The Millersville University alum then advised being vigilant for signs like exoskeletons or fecal spots, which may indicate a bed bug issue. As a preventive measure, the doctor shared that it's wise to store luggage outside of bedrooms during hotel stays.

Dr. Fredericks further told celebs who attended the event to conduct a thorough inspection of suitcases and backpacks before boarding their flight from Paris, to prevent bed bugs from hitching a ride back home with them. Additionally, it'd be helpful to wash every item of clothing and use a high heat setting in the drier as an extra preventive measure.

As the world continues to update themselves on the bed bug situation in Paris, France, multiple individuals have taken to social media to share their worries about a pending epidemic. One such person had written via X, formerly Twitter:

"We’re about to have a bed bug pandemic everybody at Paris fashion week is going to bring those things home and spread them like covid."

"I see a bedbug pandemic ahead," another person stated, as a third responded, "If we have a bed bug pandemic I really don't know how I will survive it" to an X user claiming that they would never leave their house "if bed bugs invade the US."

"Bedbugs die at 118°F so literally all we would have to do is put the weather machine at that temperature for ONE minute. ONE MINUTE! We would all be really musty but it's literally just one minute... then boom! Pandemic over," a concerned fourth person offered helpfully.

A fifth person instructed, "Before this bed bug pandemic starts I'm a tell yall now, GET A STEAMER. A GOOD ONE. IMMEDIATELY," and a sixth asserted that they'd "take COVID over bed bugs."

Meanwhile, this observer, whose only concern was for their love life, playfully penned, "As I sit here reading news of the bed bug infestation in Paris, I couldn't help but wonder, when will there be a man in bed for me to bug?"

Another professional who has spoken on the matter is Larry Bernhardt, an exterminator at Top Notch Pest Control in Bensonhurst.

The pest slayer recently answered a wide range of questions about bed bugs, providing valuable insights and expertise on the issue. Shedding light on the severity of the problem based on the anecdotal evidence in pictures, he stated:

"That's a sign that it's worse than normal. Usually they also only want to come out at night. So if they're seeing them during the day, that's extremely alarming that their numbers are really growing and they're kind of feeling free to just walk around during the day."

He added that the Parisian authorities would have to create "a super-aggressive game plan for the trains, the ferries" and maybe even shut down "certain trains or having a limited schedule so they could make sure that all the transportation is treated properly."

Bernhardt then disclosed that if he was one of the many people returning to the U.S. from Paris, he'd be "throwing everything from my suitcase into a black contractor bag, tying it tight, and then washing and drying it before I put anything back into my drawers or anything like that."

"And then, if I wanted to be super-proactive, I would have a canine inspector come by probably about three to four days after coming back home. As long as the bedbug has been there for four to eight hours, something like that, the dogs will pick up the scent," the exterminator communicated to Curbed.