According to an Ipsos survey carried out from 2017 to 2022 on behalf of theAgence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (ANSES), around 11% of French households have been affected by a bed bugs infestation in the last five years, i.e. 1 household in 10. This alarming phenomenon, revealed in the latest 300-page expert report published on July 19 by ANSES, has its origins in the growth and standardization of travel.
Karine Flores, deputy director of the agency’s Social Sciences, Economy and Society department, points out that, although all households can be affected, certain factors favor these infestations: travel, displacement, or residence in shared accommodation. Contrary to popular belief, a household’s income level does not appear to be linked to the likelihood of infestation.
The ANSES report points out, however, that the level of financial resources becomes crucial when it comes to the duration of the infestation, as control costs can be high, reaching an average of €866 per household. Nationally, the total cost of bed bug control for the period 2017 to 2022 reached €1.4 billion, an average of €230 million per year. Faced with this threat, fragile households may find themselves forced to delay taking measuress, or not take any at all, thus encouraging the development of large infestations and the spread of bed bugs, among neighbors, in the entourage, as well as in places visited.
To remedy this situation, ANSES recommends the introduction of a mandatory reporting mechanism, and proposes financial support, particularly for low-income households.
It’s vital to act as soon as there is the slightest doubt about the presence of bed bugs, and ideally to act preventively to limit costs. You’ll find all the Sereni-d advice you need to protect yourself from bed bugs in our Health and Travel sections.