Until the latest news flash, newspapers and television had been creeping along with the usual suspects: Donald, Kevin, Nancy, and yet another billion-dollar Powerball jackpot. But now come les punaises de lit.
Bedbugs. In Paris.
Bedbugs. In Paris. Could it be?
But of course, it could be. Bedbugs are all over the world. And all the world loves to come to Paris. But, but, but—how bad is it?
A few friends asked for advice, and because I was leaving Tuesday to come here to Paris, I decided to report back to you. Not in a Heather Cox Richardson scholarly way with a history of bedbugs and 12 footnotes, but with my own feet and eyes, and as-yet unbitten arms and legs.
I can report to you that there were no apparent bedbugs in the Air France jet that took me to Charles de Gaulle Airport, where I also saw no one scratching from bedbug bites.
No bedbugs at the corner cafe where I ordered a veal filet with a light cream and mushroom sauce. None at the patisserie where I picked up une part (a slice) of apricot and pistachio tarte to eat at home that night. None at the Franprix grocery store where I grabbed a couple bananas and jars of goat-cheese yogurt for breakfast.
Mais oui (but of course), you might say. These places are not beds. So when I got home I stared at our own bed in our own little apartment in the Marais. I must admit it’s a creepy thought, to see a bedbug. And I admit that I did look.
I pulled back the sheet to inspect the matelas, especially the seams. I checked for the bugs, the blood stains, the eggs. Nada.
Sometimes You Need a Dog
It reminded me of a day last year when we neighbors suspected that there might be bedbugs in our Paris building. We acted quickly and hired a dog, trained specifically to sniff out les punaises de lit. And I took photos of the dog and its handler in our apartment:
Fortunately, the dog detected no bedbugs in our building, so we did not have to take the next step, which would have been to spray chemicals. And that brings me to the most assuring point: bedbugs can be controlled.
According to news reports, some bedbugs in Paris were found in a movie theater, plus on trains, the Metro, apartments, and hotels. Especially because Paris will host the summer Olympics in 2024, the city will have to step up its treatment.
“We spray one chemical for live bugs, plus another spray for eggs. And we do that twice a year,” said Colorado hotel owner Ashley Sommars. (Yes, my daughter.) Spraying for the bugs is regular maintenance—in a good hotel.
So, come to Paris. Use common sense. And don’t stay in the cheapest lodging in the cheapest part of town.
The Beret
The photo: Joe Prendergast took that photo of me as I was packing this week to leave for Paris. It’s his beret.
“Wear it,” he said.
“No. I’m not going to wear a beret. I stopped doing that in high school.”
He put it on my head anyway, fluffed up my hair, and led me to a spot in our Chicago apartment with better lighting. You can see his reflection in my sunglasses.