Is Britain about to get invaded by bedbugs?

Good morning. Paris is being overrun by bedbugs, at a time when the country is hosting the Rugby World Cup and preparing to host the 2024 Olympics. The news has alarmed people living in France and those visiting: in a moment of particularly acute panic, the deputy mayor of the French capital declared that “no one is safe”, which certainly intensified the concern.

A bedbug epidemic on the other side of the Channel has unsurprisingly left many people worried that the hordes of insects are about to hop on a direct train to St Pancras International and invade the UK. London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, has said everything is being done to ensure that the problem does not get out of control, though he has acknowledged that it is a “real cause for concern”. Transport for London is disinfecting seats on buses and tubes every day and Khan is also in contact with Eurostar.

Despite these measures, it seems that bedbugs are still getting through. One person uploaded a particularly horrifying video on TikTok showing a small brown insect climbing up someone’s trousers on the Victoria Line. Back in France, the education minister said “cases are piling up”, withseven schools closed over fears of an infestation and sniffer dogs deployed on public transport including the Paris Métro.

Bedbugs are tiny apple seed-sized insects that feed on blood, usually at night. Though even adult bugs can be hard to spot, their bites often leave welts, bumps or rashes on the skin that can cause itching. They don’t spread any serious disease, in fact the biggest harm they cause is often psychological: people report feeling extreme stress, anxiety and even insomnia during and after an infestation – the experience can be difficult to get over.

The unfortunate truth is that bedbugs have already been here for a while, years even. I spoke to David Cain, a microbiologist who formed Bed Bugs Limited and has been exterminating the insects for two decades, about the rise of bedbug infestations and what we can do about it. But first, the headlines.

Five big stories

In depth: ‘The reality is that bedbugs roamed the Earth with dinosaurs’

The farthest David Cain has travelled to deal with the scourge of bedbugs is Argentina. When we spoke, he was dealing with a case on a super yacht in the Mediterranean. Cain explains that bedbugs were incredibly common in the early 20th century, but because of DDT, a colourless, almost odourless synthetic insecticide deployed heavily during and after the second world war, rates of infestations fell dramatically around the world. For decades, bedbugs were thought to be a thing of the past – they became so rare that people could no longer identify them and pest-control professionals weren’t equipped to fight them.

Crucially, over time, infestations were depicted as something that only happened to those who were unhygienic and had dirty homes, as opposed to the truth: they can live just about anywhere. A social stigma meant there was little to no public education about how to prevent an infestation and what to do if you found bedbugs in your home.

The advent of regular international travel, increasing immunity to insecticides, warmer climates and overcrowded living conditions in many countries has meant that bedbugs are back, with a vengeance.

Are they coming to invade?

While everyone would like to blame France for exporting their bedbug epidemic, cases of bedbugs have been on the rise in the UK for a while. Between 2022 and 2023, there was a 65% increase in reported infestations, according to data released by pest-control company Rentokil in September. Cain estimates that 5% of households in London have had a bedbug infestation in the last two years.

“Today we are blaming the French, but a decade ago, we were blaming New York City,” Cains says. “Now the reality is, and this is a real shocker for a lot of people, bedbugs roamed the Earth with dinosaurs and have had more time on the planet than we have as a species,” so they’re pretty resilient critters.

Cain started noticing a steep rise in infestations in the early 2000s: “Back in 2003 and 2004, when I first encountered bedbugs, I was seeing a case every two to three months – within 18 months I was dealing with seven to eight cases a day.” And the problem has been steadily getting worse ever since.

Luton Council have said they have received an alarming number of calls to deal with bedbug infestations, issued guidance on what people should do to prepare their homes for “treatment” but also warned that they did not have “unlimited resources” to deal with the problem.

Why are there more infestations now?

There are a number of reasons behind the rise in bedbugs: more people are travelling internationally than ever before. Unsurprisingly, the number of infestations fell during the pandemic, but as travel has increased, the cases have started rising again.

At one point, the general consensus was to advise people to be vigilant in hotels, hostels and hospitals, but Cain says “that horse bolted a long time ago”. The number of places people can pick up bedbugs has increased significantly: “Now we have to advise people to be careful about their public transport use and check their work environments. The job has become infinitely more complex over the years.”

Some experts have also pointed to the fact that more people are buying secondhand furniture, though Cain says this argument could demonise specific groups of people: “Pest controllers were taught years ago that secondhand furniture is where you get bedbugs, effectively pointing the finger at people who can’t afford new furniture. I don’t like that at all. People should buy secondhand, by all means, but they should just check thoroughly for any signs of bedbugs.” The problem, Cain wants to hammer home, is a lack of public awareness and a social stigma that makes it difficult for people to openly discuss the issue.

How should we deal with them?

The first and most important step to dealing with bedbugs effectively is educating people, Cain says. “If the public don’t inadvertently deposit their bugs in public spaces, then we no longer have a problem.”

For individuals, he says that having a proactive programme of screening and checking your house is key. “You spend on average approximately 180 hours a month sleeping in your bed – all you need to do is, once a month, strip the linen off, clean the top of the mattress, flip the mattress, clean the underside and the frame of the bed and if you have a passive bedbug monitor installed, check it for signs. It shouldn’t take longer than half an hour.” (In addition to writing a guide to these tiny terrors, Cain’s company has patented a bedbug monitor.)

If the bedbugs manage to outsmart you and find their way into your home and bed, the next step is to hire a professional who specialises in bedbug extermination. Renters should contact their landlords, housing associations or local councils. Don’t use an aerosol insecticide or a fogger and do not throw all your furniture away, mainly because the bugs could be introduced to new furniture anyway. Leaving the property in the hopes that they will just starve will not work either as they can live without any food for months. The key thing, he stresses, is not to panic – that’s when the biggest mistakes are made.

And, to make you all feel a bit better, I’ll close with this slightly haunting anecdote from Cain: “I used to employ someone whose job it was to sleep in the bed when it was infested with bedbugs because you can’t treat a bed unless it’s occupied, to draw the bugs out.” At least you’re not being used as bedbug bait. (Cain adds that they don’t do it much nowadays).

What else we’ve been reading

As someone who loves the idea of houseplants but cannot keep them alive, I really resonated with Zoe Williams’ column on her inability to cultivate the greenery in her home. Nimo

The world’s first master’s degree in reparatory justice has been launched by Glasgow University, in partnership with the University of the West Indies. Sally Weale reports as the global campaign for financial reparations for transatlantic slavery gathers momentum. Rupert Neate, acting First Edition editor

If you’ve been wondering why social media and the internet don’t seem to be very fun any more, it turns out you’re not alone. The New Yorker’s Kyle Chayka says:“The internet today feels emptier, like an echoing hallway, even as it is filled with more content than ever.” Rupert

If you’re tired of micro-trends that mean little outside a small corner of the internet then look away. Alaina Demopoulos has unpacked the rise of “litcore” – think Zadie Smith caps and New Yorker totes – in some social circles. Demopoulos examines what this trend about “consuming culture as a performative act” is doing to the ways we interact with art. Nimo

The US rapper 50 Cent is sponsoring under-14s girls’ football team AFC Rumney in Cardiff. Mabel Banfield-Nwachi reports that the club was “over the moon” with the sponsorship, as the rapper joins a growing list of stars supporting Welsh teams. Rupert

Sport

Football | The UK and Ireland have been confirmed by Uefa as the hosts of the men’s European Championship in 2028. Uefa said on Wednesday that Turkey, who had expressed an interest in hosting the tournament, has now withdrawn its bid.

Rugby | South Africa’s director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, has sought to highlight his side’s improving relationship with referees before their quarter‑final against France on Sunday, conceding they “got it wrong” in the past. The world champions will meet the host nation at Stade de France in arguably the most eagerly awaited of four blockbuster last-eight ties.

Cricket | Pakistan recorded the highest successful run chase in Cricket World Cup history as they beat Sri Lanka by six wickets.

The front pages

The aftermath of Hamas’s attack on Israel continues to dominate the front pages, although some papers also focus on the Labour conference.

The Guardian’s headline is “Israeli troops mass on Gaza border as Hamas attack death toll hits 1,000”. The Financial Times maintains its focus on the Middle East with “Israel prepares for ground invasion”. Its main photo has a picture of Israeli soldiers carrying out a covered body from the ruined Kfar Aza kibbutz.

The Times says “Hamas ‘cut the throats of babies’ in massacre” as it also focusses on the attack at Kfar Aza. The Telegraph’s headline is “Hamas massacres babies and children”.In the i, it’s “Massacre of innocents”. The Sun headline is “Slaughter at the kibbutz” and the Mail says “This was a holocaust pure and simple”.

In the Mirror it’s the Labour conference. The headline is “Starmer: My promise … A Britain built to last”.

Today in Focus

Cartoon of the day | Martin Rowson

The Upside

A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad

There are no longer Swedish meatballs, but there is banging house music. When Ikea opened its gigantic flagship store in Tottenham in 2005, six people ended up in hospital. Thousands of bargain-hunters had flocked to the north London outpost, lured by the promise of leather sofas for just £45, resulting in a frenzied stampede, and the store having to close its doors after only 40 minutes. As one shopper put it: “Madness descended.”

The Ikea closed for good last year. Now the 608,000 sq ft space has reopened as a 15,000-capacity nightclub set to host the biggest names in dance music. And judging by its opening on Saturday, the clubbers are a decidedly less rowdy bunch than the frantic sofa-seekers.

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