Staying in a French AirBnB? More than one-in-ten houses in the country are infected with bedbugs – with rental properties blamed for increasing the spread

French Airbnbs have been blamed for an alarming rise in bed bugs, with one in ten households in the country now infested.

A survey found that 11 percent of French households will struggle with outbreaks of blood-sucking insects between 2017 and 2022.

The research, conducted by the National Agency for Food, Environment and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), suggested that the tourism industry is largely responsible for the rise in infestations.

“It’s a phenomenon completely independent of the social environment,” said Karine Fiore, deputy director of social, economic and social sciences at ANSES.

“Although all homes can be affected by bed bugs, we have nevertheless been able to identify some factors that favor infestations: traveling or living in shared accommodation, for example,” she said according to The Telegraph.

Bed bugs are small brown insects that hide in upholstery such as mattresses. They come out at night and bite humans to feed on their blood.

Beds used by frequent visitors in places such as hotels are prone to infestations.

In France, the increase is also due to an increase in international traffic and the insects’ resistance to insecticides, the report claimed.

Having bed bugs is almost entirely down to luck, because “it has nothing to do with hygiene,” said Scott Hyslop, director of PEST UK.

The pest expert said, “As a preventative measure, we especially recommend that when people come home, they wash their clothes.”

Another common way bed bugs are introduced into people’s homes is through second-hand furniture.

Not only are the bugs a nuisance, but it can also cost an average of $866 per household to remove, according to the report.