Bed bugs have taken over the internet–and Paris, France. This Paris Fashion Week was overrun with the pests, to the point that they escaped their home base in hotel beds and took over subway systems, cabs, and restaurants. As American designers, models, journalists, and more return from the occasion, European survivors are offering their survival guide for bed bugs. The pests have turned the City of Love into the City of Bugs.
The bugs have reportedly invaded luxury hotel rooms, AirBnBs, apartments, and more across other European countries. Londoners are sharing their tips for the Parisian bug infestation. From being mindful of where you place your bag in public to keeping light colored sheets on your bed for optimal bug catching vision, there are a number of preventative tips.
Bedbugs broke me. They stole 8 months of my life. I couldn’t sleep because I was so paranoid about being bitten. The bites would itch for weeks, and even after they healed I had phantom itching. ????????????
— Hev (@issahev) October 2, 2023
Why exactly the Paris bed bugs have everyone in a frenzy is a deeper story. Paris Fashion Week hosted a number of high profile Americans, from Kim Kardashian to Law Roach, Pamela Anderson, and Zendaya, who might just drag a trail with them in their wake. Additionally, Paris is set to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. If a global outbreak persists, the international games could also be affected. The Summer Olympics are only held every four years, giving the strongest athletes in the world the floor to compete in the sports they have extensively trained for their entire lives.
Paris is battling an infestation of bedbugs as it prepares to host the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Videos recently posted on social media purportedly show the tiny, bloodsucking insects crawling on public transport in Paris and even in Charles de Gaulle Airport. pic.twitter.com/obLJHsFv7Z
— ABC News (@ABC) October 3, 2023
Emmanuel Grégoire, the deputy mayor of Paris, wrote that the French capital was “at the forefront of this rapidly growing, persistent scourge.”
Social Media Reactions To Bed Bugsgate
Of course, the memes about the shocking absurdity of a bed bug infestation have taken over social media. The fear of an international invasion lingers, just as the U.S. is crawling from the ashes of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the midst of fear comes memes.
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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? pic.twitter.com/daXfBP8jsz
— Southern Homo (@SouthernHomo) October 4, 2023
The bedbugs: pic.twitter.com/mDYGSlRYay
— Spooky Butthole (@OwennnThomas) October 2, 2023
bro has to fight the bedbugs and attempted murder. https://t.co/hIdMAjnoRA
— chris (@ATR3lDES) October 3, 2023
Others continued to assert the serious nature of a bed bugs infestation. While the bugs themselves are not known to carry disease, the blood sucking bites can cause skin conditions and allergic reactions in some victims.
bedbugs demanding respect on the timeline like:pic.twitter.com/tFwHlM051S https://t.co/s5fhoUa2NN
— Desus MF Nice???? (@desusnice) October 4, 2023
The thought of bedbugs currently taking solo trips via public transport to plant mayhem in households, has been plaguing my brain several times a day!!! pic.twitter.com/Z5OnfDnPWP
— Amina (@yeahshewrites) October 3, 2023
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Many applauded a previous video of a woman cleaning her hotel room before using it, and reminding viewers that such precautions might be necessary during bed bug season.
Now that Paris has bed bugs, everyone owes this lady an apology. She been hip! https://t.co/ZQbDFsiCU6
— ????️ (@mimianyse) October 2, 2023
Others have begun to question an international response to a potential global infestation. Three years ago, stay-at-home orders were widely implemented to stop the spread of COVID-19. Now, some question if similar measures will be taken if the bugs invade American public transportation systems.
As someone whose #1 paranoia is bedbugs I need someone with credentials to tell me how much I have to actually worry about this because I swear to god the psychosomatic itching began the moment I read these tweets ???? https://t.co/D7qJdVpiS1
— Brittany Van Horne (@_brittanyv) October 4, 2023
Some continue to share photos and images of their encounters with the pests, so as to raise public awareness.
hold on 🙂 I recorded this bug because I wondered if it was a fucking tiny little cockroach, and i thought squishing it would make things worse. but now I’m looking at these pictures of bedbugs, and I’m realising I have set a bedbug free on a train. btw, CN⚠️ : ✋????I hold the bug https://t.co/RdkxGTQohY pic.twitter.com/UciUH8OVBR
— poppy young (@helloiampoppy) October 2, 2023
U.S. officials are yet to address the bed bug infestation in Paris, and it remains unclear whether it will truly have international reach.
