Bedbugs can’t really hurt you. But your fear of them might, experts say.
Paris is riddled with bedbugs, according to dozens of videos online that show the critters looking for their next host on buses, trains, hotels and more. Now, some people are documenting their own bedbug battles after traveling from Paris, sparking fear of impending infestations in other cities and countries.
The bedbug hype is enough to get your skin crawling but understanding the difference between real and perceived fears, preferably long before an actual threat emerges, could save you from unnecessary anxiety.
“Bedbugs are not everywhere, but they can be anywhere,” said Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, an entomologist with Cornell University and coordinator of the New York State Integrated Pest Management community program. “If there are blood-feeding critters roaming in your bed and you can't see them, but you feel every little itch, it can be overwhelming and lead to sleepless nights, anxiety and shame.”
The trick, entomologists say, is to not only be mindful of how the Paris bedbug news can affect you mentally but also understand the nature of what’s happening in the City of Love (spoiler alert: it’s pretty normal).
Bedbug infestation in Paris is nothing to fret
It’s normal to feel nervous about a potential bedbug infestation in the U.S. as major events like Paris Fashion Week make headlines. The good news, experts say, is that what’s happening in Paris isn’t unprecedented – and that an outbreak in the U.S. is unlikely.
“We've been dealing with bedbugs in the U.S. in a very big way since about the year 2000,” Gangloff-Kaufmann said. “Paris is the same; London is the same; Australia is the same – everyone's had this resurgence. So it's nothing new.”
Social media videos are sensationalizing the bugs’ normal behavior, she said, especially as the city prepares for the 2024 Olympics. Instead, resistance to pesticides, increased international travel and changing pest control practices are to blame for the general uptick in bedbugs worldwide, experts say.
Therefore, it’s unlikely that the U.S. will experience a surge in bedbugs, said Jerome Goddard, an extension professor of medical and veterinary entomology at Mississippi State University who has studied bedbugs’ psychological toll: “We have them here. They have them there.”
How bedbugs can affect your mental health
Anticipating a bedbug attack could be just as stressful as actually experiencing one, particularly if you have a phobia of bugs (entomophobia), experts say.
A case series published in 2012 in the journal Psychosomatics found that even after repeated confirmation that their homes were bedbug-free, some people continued to visit dermatologists to locate bug bites, dispose of their furniture, obsessively clean their homes with bleach, feel biting sensations at night, change housing multiple times, and isolate themselves from friends and family.
People in the midst of an actual infestation experience similar and sometimes more serious emotional and behavioral upheaval.
Goddard reviewed 135 online blogs about bedbugs and found that 81% of them reported psychological symptoms associated with posttraumatic stress disorder, such as nightmares, insomnia, anxiety, flashbacks, hypervigilance and avoidance behaviors.
To reduce stress and anxiety, prepare before bedbugs become an actual threat
Learning about where bedbugs come from, how to tell if a hotel or your bed has them and what to do if you find the critters, can ease your worries about a potential infestation, experts say.
How to identify and control bed bugs:Bedbugs are blood-sucking pests. Here's how to identify and control the tiny invaders.
In some cases, guidance from a mental health practitioner may be necessary. Notify a therapist or other professional that you’re dealing with bedbugs or worried about a future problem; they’ll give you tips to control stress and anxiety.
Fortunately, bedbugs aren’t known to spread disease, so the bites themselves are relatively harmless, besides some irritation and a possible allergic reaction.
Consider, too, whether you or a loved one might be at risk of a bedbug problem, Goddard said. People who live in lower income neighborhoods, for example, might not be able to afford professional pest control and are more likely to face long-term issues; people with certain cognitive or intellectual disorders may not be capable of keeping up with best practices to avoid or eliminate bedbugs; and anyone who moves around a lot, sleeping in beds shared by others also face greater risks.
“Bedbugs aren’t supernatural, they don’t fly and they’re easily killed,” Goddard said. “They really aren’t as terrifying as they sound. Learn to recognize them and understand their behaviors – knowledge is power.”