Bed Bugs: England Fears Coming Plague

In early October, a plague of bed bugs hit France. Insects swarmed around Schools, trains, hospitals or theatres. Victims declared their “life in hell”, isolating themselves from the outside world and establishing self-help groups. According to the DailyMail, the plague now appears to have crossed the English Channel as the invasion of Great Britain may have already begun.

Eyewitnesses have reported seeing bed bugs on the London Underground or on buses in Manchester – and the Bedfordshire region has received an “alarming number” of bed bug sightings. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the problem was “really worrying” and had already contacted authorities in France. However, some experts believe that reports of bed bugs are also false alarms.

Passengers are not seated

It all started with a video from the London Underground that showed bed bugs on the seats of a train. Videos of alleged bed bug sightings followed. As a result, many passengers on the London Underground were afraid to sit in their seats and spent the journey standing.

However, Richard Wall, an expert at the University of Bristol, gives the all-clear that the insect from the original video that sparked the drama was most likely not a bed bug – as the insect filmed was not “good enough”. Adam Juson from Pest Control shares his opinion: “We have found bed bugs on trains in the past. So it’s not out of the question, but it seems wrong.”

Many insects are resistant to pesticides

But several videos of alleged bed bug sightings are circulating and molecular biologist David Cain talks about the growing bed bug problem over the years. “They’ve become so widespread in the last ten years that they’re now found in movie theaters, doctors’ offices, hospitals, and many other public places,” Cain explains.

However, the situation in France is not so bad. Those in charge of London’s subways are already taking all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the plague. “We are talking to our friends in Paris and seeing if we can learn from them,” says Mayor Kahn. London’s underground system also has an excellent sanitation system. In particular, the trains on the Eurostar link from Paris to London need to be thoroughly cleaned. Many English people are currently traveling to France to support their national team, especially at the Rugby World Cup.

Once the plague has spread, it is very difficult to get rid of it. “We can’t always rely on the pesticides we’ve been using for decades to fight these pests,” explains entomologist James Logan. Pests have adapted to chemicals and are now resistant to them. “The trick is to catch them early, before they spawn,” Logan continues.

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