GHalf a year before the Summer Olympics, bed bug sniffing dogs in the greater Paris area are already fully booked. Hotel owners have booked specially trained sniffer dogs to reassure hotel guests. Their purpose is to sniff out whether guests have left bed bugs in the rooms and allow exterminators to intervene quickly. The goal is to ease Olympic travelers' fear of bed bug infestations. More than 15 million visitors are expected to Paris during the Olympic summer.
Last fall, the hysterical media reported an extraordinary infestation of bedbugs on the Seine River. Reports of the pests caused great concern, especially in America. Netflix's hit series “Emily in Paris” attracted more American tourists to the French capital than in a long time.
Many Americans are also invited to the 80th anniversary of D-Day in June. A vibrant commemorative tourism has developed on the Normandy landing beaches. Descendants of American soldiers who liberated the European continent from Nazi occupation visit the graves of their family members and take part in the celebrations. On June 6, the American president is also expected.
The warranty label promises protection against bed bugs
“The media won't stop writing about bedbugs. But I don't have any cancellations because of it,” said Rudy Passera of Normandy American Heroes Travel Agency. Courtney Traub, editorial director of the English-language website Paris Unlocked, believes the coverage of bed bugs is overblown. “Many media outlets want more clicks at any cost, and know that small mistakes generate interest,” Traub said.
He doubts, however, that the infection in Paris is more serious than in other comparable major cities of the world. Mass tourism contributes to the spread of pests in tourist attractions such as Paris.
A hotel association in France is testing a guarantee label that promises protection against bed bugs. These are bed bug traps that are installed in the legs of beds. Hotels are not interested in negative advertising with a photo of a bedbug on a booking platform, confirmed Sébastien Pizzocaro, who heads the Bedbug Dog Association. Therefore, as a preventive measure, hotels are now introducing sniffer dogs through hotel rooms to quickly detect bed bug infestations. The sooner pest control can act with steam treatment, the better the chance of exterminating bed bugs quickly.
Pests are now resistant to most approved chemical agents. In France, health authorities have warned against the use of a chemical manufactured in China and banned in the European Union called Sniper 1000. Incidents of health complaints are said to have increased in recent months. In Lyon, for example, it is associated with the death of a previously ill pensioner after using a Chinese insecticide against bed bugs. The court system is investigating.