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Bedbug crisis sparks political row in Paris as insect ‘scourge’ continues

theguardian.com

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Re: Bedbug crisis sparks political row in Paris as insect ‘scourge’ continues

#81

Post by littlestymaar »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #59
unsupp0rted wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> a thing of the past that couldn't possibly resurface in the present day What would be stopping them?

I assumed it was cancer causing insecticides like DDT or something.

DDT ban is often cited, but it's an insufficient explanation: first of all there are still efficient insecticides available, and bedbugs infestations only reappeared many decades after DDT was banned.

The most important causes is the massive increase in travel/tourism (airbnb is often pointed, but regular hotels are where it started) then come the increasing cost of labor (Baumol's costs disease) + higher safety standards for both the inhabitants and the workers (this includes DDT but not only) + higher living standards (people have bigger apartments with more stuff in it), which makes house decontamination much more expensive that it used to be.

Re: Bedbug crisis sparks political row in Paris as insect ‘scourge’ continues

#82

Post by mmasu »

throwaway290 wrote: post #4

It mentions various downsides of bedbugs but doesn't mention blood borne diseases... Isn't that how it works, if it bit a guy with hepatitis then bit you, you will probably get it?

I had bed bugs a 15 year ago while living in Bahrain. I had never heard of them or had any idea about what they were (in Italy, where I am from, they are not common at all) so when i started to notice bites all over my legs i did not know what i was facing. But: my sleep quality deteriorated, and with it my personal well being. So while it might be true that they do not bear diseases, if not taken care of they can severely affect your health anyway

Re: Bedbug crisis sparks political row in Paris as insect ‘scourge’ continues

#83

Post by rat9988 »

thelastparadise wrote: post #43
wincy wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

That's rude. I see no such "dog whistle" in his post and he makes a rather reasonable argument.

He is very obviously doing it. What kind of "travelers" you think he is talking about.

Re: Bedbug crisis sparks political row in Paris as insect ‘scourge’ continues

#84

Post by littlestymaar »

dvhh wrote: post #73
bsaul wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

for sure, public transport would be different if politicians were using it.

The risk of being either slapped or punched in the face on a daily basis, would certainly prevent most politicians to mingle with regular people.

Macron could take the public transport any day, he would just need to close it to the public.

Re: Bedbug crisis sparks political row in Paris as insect ‘scourge’ continues

#85

Post by thefounder »

Shaanie wrote: post #60
thefounder wrote: post #40

Isn't this a sanitary/personal hygiene issue?

In what sense? Bed bugs don't care whether you're tidy or not, they drink your blood and hide during the day. You can have an absolutely spotless home and flawless personal hygiene and still have bedbugs living in your floorboards.

In the sense that washing your clothes and bedding at high temperature plus washing all the spots where the bed bugs could hide should keep them at distance.

Re: Bedbug crisis sparks political row in Paris as insect ‘scourge’ continues

#86

Post by kergonath »

guntherhermann wrote: post #78
kergonath wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We don’t really know why they are coming back. But the fact that they used to be everywhere less than a century ago should make everyone think about protective strategies, instead of thinking that they are someone else’s problem. This is not “lol Paris” (or “lol AirBnB” like some say in other posts), this is a Europe-wide public health problem in the making. AFAICT the number of infestations grew 65% in a year in the…

Hey mate, you're tilting at windmills. Chill with the hyperbole, it'll be ok.

I am not sure where you see hyperbole. Do you have an actual point to make?

Re: Bedbug crisis sparks political row in Paris as insect ‘scourge’ continues

#87

Post by kergonath »

gpt5 wrote: post #69
kergonath wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We don’t really know why they are coming back. But the fact that they used to be everywhere less than a century ago should make everyone think about protective strategies, instead of thinking that they are someone else’s problem. This is not “lol Paris” (or “lol AirBnB” like some say in other posts), this is a Europe-wide public health problem in the making. AFAICT the number of infestations grew 65% in a year in the…

Why are you ruling out AirBnB’s popularity as a cause? It seems quite plausible, isn’t it?

It’s part of the problem, sure, but only a contributing factor. The story mentions them being found in cinemas and trains, which is uncommon, but they have been in hotels as well.

Re: Bedbug crisis sparks political row in Paris as insect ‘scourge’ continues

#89

Post by wholinator2 »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #71
gpt5 wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why are you ruling out AirBnB’s popularity as a cause? It seems quite plausible, isn’t it?

Hotels get bed bugs all the time. The cause is people traveling, allowing bed bugs to hitch a ride.

And most hotels have centralized departments for dealing with it, contacts with extermination agencies, and a single large building to treat, and a very very strong incentive to get it done immediately, lest they lose all business and be forced to shut down.

I obviously don't know the specifics but I'd bet Hilton is a million times more effective at pest management than some 60 year old dude who put up his second home for extra income. To whom does the cost of extermination act as a large deterrent?

Re: Bedbug crisis sparks political row in Paris as insect ‘scourge’ continues

#90

Post by guntherhermann »

kergonath wrote: post #86
guntherhermann wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey mate, you're tilting at windmills. Chill with the hyperbole, it'll be ok.

I am not sure where you see hyperbole. Do you have an actual point to make?

> This is not “lol Paris” (or “lol AirBnB” like some say in other posts), this is a Europe-wide public health problem in the making.

> AFAICT the number of infestations grew 65% in a year in the UK. A couple of years at that rate and even if you’ve never seen any yet, you are likely to know them intimately.

These are both sentences written in a highly emotional tone, that is attempting to fear-monger. It's hyperbole. Your reply is also again terse and unnecessary, I'm not your enemy, calm down and take a day off the internet if it's getting to you. Have a good day man, take care of yourself.

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