The bedbug threat to public transport in London is “a real source of concern” after reports of outbreaks in Paris, the capital’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, has said.
A viral video at the weekend, which purported to show a bedbug on a passenger’s leg on the Victoria line and has been viewed more than 1m times, has stoked alarm that the UK could face similar problems to the French capital, where there have reportedly been growing numbers of the blood-sucking insects in flats, cinemas and trains.
Speaking to the PoliticsJoe website, Khan said: “This is a real source of concern. People are worried about these bugs in Paris causing a problem in London.
“I want to reassure those listening that TfL [Transport for London] has the best regimes to clean our assets on a nightly basis. We are speaking to our friends in Paris to see if there are any lessons to be learned but for a variety of reasons we don’t think those issues will arise in London; but there is no complacency from TfL.”
Some experts have queried whether the video shows a live bedbug, or what type of bug, but the UK is no stranger to bedbugs, which are found globally.
Often they are transported in luggage, secreting themselves in travellers’ suitcases and on clothing. There is often an increase in July and August, when a lot of people are on the move.
Once imported they can hide in small crevices, often in bedroom furniture, or even skirting boards or behind mirrors and pictures, and bite at night. They are not known to transmit disease and their bite is painless but will leave a red, itchy mark. However, their droppings and remains may trigger allergies in some.
Data from the pest control company Rentokil in September showed that from 2022 to 2023, the UK had a 65% increase in bedbug infestations.
They can spread rapidly – a female adult can lay up to 10 eggs a day, and 200-500 eggs in her lifetime – meaning prompt detection and taking swift, effective action are key to controlling an infestation.
Prof James Logan of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said bed bugs were “on the increase globally” because they were “becoming resistant to insecticides that we normally use to kill them. We are also seeing increasing travel, which helps them to spread.”
He recommended that people keep their luggage off the floor and zipped up while staying in hotels, or hang clothes in the wardrobe but avoid drawers and leaving clothing on the floor. If they see or suspect bed bugs, they should ask to change room or move hotels, he recommended. Upon return, he suggested unpacking bags outdoors and bagging up clothes, then putting them in the freezer or washing at a high temperature.
“If you are unlucky enough to have bedbugs, the best thing to do is to call a pest controller as soon as possible. It is really important that you know that you have bedbugs very quickly because the earlier you catch them, the easier it is to treat an infestation. Do not try to treat the infestation yourself,” he said.
Prof Robert Smith of the University of Huddersfield said that people should not be too alarmed by increased reports of bed bugs as these were likely to “reflect widespread media coverage over the last week or so” rather than an invasion from Paris.
“Don’t panic if you think you have bed bugs. The thought of these bloodsuckers might be unpleasant, but they don’t carry or spread any human diseases as far as we know. The NHS website has good advice about what to look for and what to do,” he said.
Meanwhile, an Avanti West Coast staff member contacted the Guardian after the train company allegedly allowed a service to keep running despite a report of bedbugs. The staff member said that although bedbugs were reported on a service from Liverpool to London on Monday, the train was sent back from London to Liverpool with people onboard.
Avanti said the train was taken out of service in Liverpool and the carriage in question was examined and treated, though no bedbugs were found.
An Avanti spokesperson said: “When we were notified, the coach on the train in question was taken out of use. The coach has been treated and inspected and no trace of any pests have been found.”
• This article was amended on 10 October 2023 to remove a reference to Luton borough council receiving “an alarming number of calls” about bedbugs. This information was not current; it had been posted on the council’s website in 2019 and last updated in March 2020.
