Our bed bug hell: Australian couple are covered with dozens of bug bites after travelling overnight in infested train carriage
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A couple who were bitten by bed bugs after sleeping on a train have shared their experience of the pesky insects online.
Maddie Caines and Joel Hutchinson are two Australian citizens who are travelling the world together, but a trip on an overnight bed-bug infested train has left them with dozens of bites.
The pair took a trip from Munich, Germany to Milan, Italy. Whilst their sleep was comfortable, when they awoke, they felt itchy.
Maddie said in a video posted to Instagram: ‘This is the story of our actual bed bug nightmare. We got an overnight train and we booked our own cabin seating compartment because that was all that was available and we really wanted to sleep.
‘So we laid all the seats flat and actually had a really good sleep on the train. The cabin was pretty dirty but whatever, it’s a train we didn’t expect that much.’
The next morning, the couple noticed that they were covered in the bites.
‘It got worse and worse and we kinda realised we were covered in them and it matched the clothes we were wearing on the train,’ she said.
Maddie Caines and Joel Hutchinson are two Australian citizens who are travelling the world together, but a trip on an overnight bed-bug infested train has left them with dozens of bites
The pair took a trip from Munich, Germany to Milan, Italy . Whilst their sleep was comfortable when they awoke, they felt itchy
The couple notified the train company who were ‘very responsive’ and ‘immediately got pest control in’ who confirmed that it was a bed bug infestation
The couple notified the train company who were ‘very responsive’ and ‘immediately got pest control in’ who confirmed that it was a bed bug infestation.
The pair were refunded their 200 euro ticket by the train company. They said that they cleaned all of their clothes at 90 degrees and left their bags in the sun.
She ended the short clip by saying: ‘Fingers crossed it’s the end.’
READ MORE: How to defend your home against bed bug invasion amid fears of possible insect influx from France – pest expert reveals
They captioned the video: ‘We knew we’d get beg bugs while travelling at some point but I did not expect it to be on a train OR to be SO BAD. And we’re not even in Paris.’
Horrified Instagram users took to the comments to share their experiences with the pesky insects.
One wrote: ‘I just got out of the bed bug situation! My hands looked exactly as bad as yours! It’s terrible. Hope you’re doing ok.’
Another penned: ‘I was bitten in my hotel in London two weeks ago.’
A third said: ‘Those are a lot of bed bugs, the times I got bitten I had like three to fie bites maybe.’
It comes as Sadiq Khan warned that the possibility of bedbugs on London’s public transport was a ‘real source of concern’.
He said that he had contacted officials in Paris after the French capital became overwhelmed by an outbreak with the insects reported in schools, trains, hospitals and cinemas.
Many fear that bed bugs have made their way over to the UK, as people have spotted them in London, Luton and Manchester, suggesting the problem is widespread and growing.
Richard Grimes, Managing Director and Pest Control Expert at Acorn Environment Services, has revealed how you can banish the insects from your home.
He said: ‘Bed bugs aren’t picky and they can very easily hitch a ride on our luggage or clothes, making it incredibly easy for this infestation to find its way to the UK.
Maddie and Joel were also refunded their 200 euro ticket by the train company. They said that they cleaned all of their clothes at 90 degrees and left their bags in the sun
A post shared by Joel Hutchinson & Maddie Caines (@joelandmads)
Horrified Instagram users took to the comments to share their experiences with the pesky insects
‘That’s why it’s so important for Brits to have the information they need to protect themselves and their homes.’
While bed bugs may seem small and harmless, they can soon take over your whole house.
For some, their bites are uncomfortable, showing up on skin as itchy red bumps as they feast on human and animal blood.
Mr Grimes said that bed bugs have ‘a reddish-brown, flat, oval bodies and leave itchy bites that are either in a line or clusters.’
He recommends that Brits remove the clutter from their homes and avoid storing items on the floor.
The pest expert said that those struggling with an infestation should wash bedding and clothing at a high temperature.
‘Bed bugs and their eggs can’t survive at temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius, so high temperature washes and tumble drying for at least 30 minutes can help to kill them off,’ said Mr Grimes.
Rik Smith, director of tenancy services at Goodlord, has also issued a series of tips to tenants worried about their bugs – ranging from the extreme to the bizarre.
A bedbug is seen on a glove of a biocide technician from Hygiene Premium in Paris on September 29
Fears are growing of a bedbug outbreak in the UK – similar to that seen in France over recent weeks. Pictured: Specialists on a bedbug call-out
If you are concerned that you may have brought the bugs into the house, Mr Smith says you should ‘put affected clothes and bedding in the freezer for a few hours before washing’.
You should also take steps to ‘wash bedding and clothes on a hot wash (at least 60C) and tumble dry on a hot setting for 30 minutes’.
READ MORE: UK Bedbugs crisis: Put your duvets in the freezer, landlords tell tenants as national panic descends with London Underground passengers refusing to sit on train seats and council swamped with ‘alarming number of calls’
When that’s done, it is important to hoover the house thoroughly and empty the bag – as the bugs may still be alive in there.
He explained: ‘They are incredibly small – 5 to 7mm long – and it’s easy for them to get into a home without anyone noticing.
‘Considering the bugs can live for up to six months without food, one of the most difficult problems people face is the fact they’re so hard to remove – and may only be noticed when there is a full infestation.’
A pest control company which operates in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London has said that staff are facing 25 call-outs a week, which is up from just ‘one or two’ a month ago.
Luton is a particular hotspot for bedbugs at the moment, with residents throwing their beds away, ripping up carpets and evacuating their homes.
Luton Council’s website this week warned residents it ‘does not have limitless resources’ to tackle the ‘obnoxious pest’, adding treating properties was ‘not free’.
It said: ‘The national bed bug problem has not missed Luton. The Pest Control Service is currently receiving an alarming number of bed bug jobs on a weekly basis.’
Adam Warren, director of Summit Pest Control, told The Times that the problem had flared up in the past six weeks and that Luton was ‘busier for bedbugs than I’ve ever known it’.
As the company face a busy time of year, they said the worst infestation was in the affluent village of Radlett, Hertfordshire, where an elderly couple’s house was so infested they had to rip out the carpets and throw the beds away.
The Times also spoke to Jamie Ramsey, manager of Pests of London, who said they were ‘snowed under’ with bedbug call-outs at the moment. They serve areas within the M25.
The company’s call-outs have doubled since last year to around five to ten a day – many from hotels concerned that guests were bringing them to rooms.
The company’s call-outs have doubled since last year to around five to ten a day – many from hotels concerned that guests were bringing them to rooms.
A third firm, Pest Extractors, said they have seen a recent spike too – not just in Luton but all over, including Stevenage, another hotspot.
Video shows a backstreet in Marseille filled with home furnishings abandoned during the crisis
Bedbugs are seen in a sofa bed in L’Hay-les-Roses near Paris, France, last week
Britons have been sharing several videos of suspected bedbugs on social media as fears grow
The spike comes as it has also emerged that insurers will not pay out over bedbug infestations.
Aviva, the UK’s largest insurer, and other firms who provide home cover have confirmed the cost of removing bedbugs or repairing damage is not included in most policies.
The Association of British Insurers urged customers to look if there was any additional cover they could get as fears grow over an infestation.
Cover is likely to vary between home insurance policies, with many not covering the cost of damage caused by vermin and pests,’ a spokesman told The Telegraph.
‘The costs of disinfestation might be covered under some add-ons to cover, like emergency home assistance. So, the advice on this is to check the cover provided under your policy.’
Aviva said its standard home insurance policies exclude ‘moths, vermin, insects, fungus, damp, rust, wet or dry rot’. Admiral said it also excluded damage and that its Home Emergency add-on would not cover bedbugs. Axa also said it would not cover bedbugs.
Transport for London (TfL) has begun disinfecting Tube seats on a daily basis to stop infestations.
But experts fear Brits heading to Marseille for England’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Fiji on Sunday could bring the insects back with them. One rugby fan told MailOnline she plans to ‘actively avoid’ sitting on public transport and has started having ‘nightmares’ about bedbugs after watching videos of the critters on social media.
Nic Shacklock from Online-Bedrooms said: ‘It’s estimated over a million fans are heading to the Rugby Village.
What are bedbugs, how do they spread and how do you get rid of them?
- Bedbugs are oval-shaped insects with six legs that can reach up to 7mm in length
- The parasites originated in the Middle East and have been around for at least 3,550 years
- They feed on blood and their bites can leave skin rashes and cause allergic reactions
- Despite their Latin name being Cimex lectularius which means ‘bug of the bed’, the insects can be found in many hidden crevices such as sofas and cushions as these are safe places to lay their eggs
- The pests can live for several months without a blood meal, meaning they can linger in furniture and suitcases for long after their last bite
- Common signs you might have bedbugs include: Rusty or reddish smears on your sheets, dark spotting from dried bedbug fecal matter, a musty smell in your room
- Bedbugs can spread via light switches and electrical outlets and be brought into homes by latching on to luggage
- While bedbugs cause itching and a lack of sleep, they are not known to spread disease and bites normally clear up within two weeks
- Experts recommend not unpacking clothes when staying in hotels and keeping luggage off the floor and zipped up
- To get rid of bedbugs, experts recommend washing bedding and clothing on a 60C cycle or packing it in a plastic bag and leaving it in the freezer for three or four days
‘If everyone is using public transport while Paris is gripped by a bed bug infestation, it’s more than likely an outbreak is heading to our shores.’
He added: ‘It’s worth placing bin bags or thick plastic bags on seats while using the Metro as they don’t like to cling onto smooth plastic materials.
‘We also advise being cautious when you arrive at the hotel room. Check under your bed sheets and strip the entire room as the bugs can be hiding within the mattress and on the sofa.’
Professor Lucy Easthope, who has worked on the response to global events including the 9/11 and 7/7 attacks, the Grenfell Tower fire and Covid-19, has warned that Britain is ‘not ready’ for an invasion of bedbugs.
The French government is battling to contain a bout of nationwide panic, with several secondary schools closing due to the infestation.
Footage shows residents walking past discarded mattresses in one of the streets in Marseille and Lyon, with some of the items lying in the road and others propped up against buildings.
Locals are also chucking out their home furnishings because of the issue, with a placard reading ‘bedbugs’ pinned to the headboard of a bed to warn others not to take it.
Concerns have grown over a bedbug infestation in London after a video went viral over the weekend of what was claimed to be a bedbug on a person’s leg on the Victoria line.
But some experts have disputed whether the creature is indeed a bedbug, with one saying it was not ‘flat enough’ and another saying that the clip ‘looks wrong.’
Mr Khan said he was concerned, but TfL was doing everything it could to ensure the bedbug infestation in France does not spread to public transport in London.
He told PoliticsJOE: ‘This is a real source of concern, right? People are worried about these bugs in Paris causing a problem in London.
‘I was in contact with TfL last week and this weekend. We’re taking steps to make sure we don’t have those problems in London, in relation to regular cleaning of not just the Tubes and our buses, but talking to the Eurostar as well.
‘TfL have one of the best regimes to clean our assets on a nightly basis. We’re speaking to our friends in Paris to see if there are any lessons to be learned. For a variety of reasons we don’t think those issues will arise in London – but no complacency from TfL.’
TfL has confirmed that it is monitoring trains and buses for any indication that the infestation could have reached the UK.
A TfL spokesman said: ‘We are continuing to closely monitor our network but are not aware of any outbreaks in London.
‘We are continuing to implement our rigorous and thorough cleaning measures that have been proven to keep both the interior and exterior of our trains clean.
‘We are committed to providing a clean and safe environment on our bus, Tube and rail service for our customers and staff, and we would like to reassure our customers that we continue to maintain our already high standards of cleanliness, so our staff and customers can use the network safely and with confidence.’
Q&A
What is the problem?
Bedbugs are no strangers to the UK but there have been concerns about sightings in London, Luton and Manchester, suggesting the problem is widespread and growing.
Pest control firm Rentokil says infestations have soared 65 per cent over the past year.
Why is Luton affected?
The Bedfordshire town, as with London and Manchester, is a major international transport hub. Planes fly to French cities including Paris, the epicentre of an outbreak, Lyon and Nice.
Luton is also within the London commuter belt.
How is France hit?
Scenes of discarded mattresses around Paris indicate the scale of the issue. There are also reports of infestations in seats and soft furnishings in public buildings and mass transport systems. MP Mathilde Panot recently took a test tube filled with dead bedbugs into the Paris parliament to highlight the problem in ‘hospitals, schools, workplaces, retirement homes, prisons, trains and cinema theatres’.
What can we do?
Bedbugs are difficult to have removed. They are so small they can get inside mattresses plus folds in fabrics and clothing.
Treating an infestation in a house can cost £600 to £800 for an average three-bed house ¿ though multiple treatments are often needed. The process is also disruptive as beds need to be stripped and wardrobes, drawers and shelves emptied with contents sealed. Occupants also must leave the property.
How do I treat bites?
These can be uncomfortable and itchy and may lead to swelling but usually not worse ¿ with an extreme and life-threatening reaction, anaphylaxis, being a rare side-effect.
They generally subside after about a week but measures can be taken to reduce discomfort, such as putting a cool, damp cloth on the affected area and avoiding scratching.
Antihistamines or a mild steroid cream can also help.
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