The business of bed bugs
Business Daily
BBC
4.4 • 816 Ratings
🗓️ 18 January 2024
⏱️ 18 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to deal with - and they're a nightmare for any town or city that relies on a thriving hospitality industry. In October 2023, French government officials had to act rapidly following news headlines claiming there'd been a rise in infestations in Paris, in the run-up to the 2024 Olympic Games.
Infestations can damage reputations, and lead to financial losses due to compensation claims and costly pest control treatments. But scientists are developing solutions to deal with the problem.
In this edition of Business Daily, we speak to hotel owners, entrepreneurs, and travellers who’ve been bitten - plus the companies creating technology to help hospitality bosses tackle the problem.
(Picture: A hand in a blue glove, holding a magnifying glass over some bed bugs. Credit: Getty Images)
Presented and produced by Dougal Shaw
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Unmissible stories from around the globe, from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:05.1 | My happy place, this is who I am. |
| 0:08.2 | Search for the documentary, Lives Less Ordinary, and Amazing Sports Stories, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. |
| 0:26.4 | Hello, I'm Dougal Shaw, welcome to Business Daily on the BBC World Service. |
| 0:29.0 | Today we're taking a look at bedbugs. |
| 0:33.4 | I got out of bed and I saw some red bumps on my feet and on my legs. |
| 0:34.6 | These weren't swelling up. |
| 0:41.5 | They were staying the same size, but they were even itchy than I've ever experienced with any of my mosquito bites. |
| 0:44.0 | So then I figured this might be something different. |
| 0:46.8 | Is it possible to see the bedbugs? |
| 0:48.3 | Yes, absolutely. We'll get them out. |
| 0:50.8 | What's the kind of red sacks underneath them? |
| 0:54.3 | So that is the blood that we feed them. Bedbugs only eat blood. |
| 0:59.8 | Cases of bedbugs appear to be on the rise, with the British media focusing on the fear of cases in France, spreading to the UK. There is growing concern about a rise in bedbugs, especially in France. |
| 1:05.6 | Now these bugs can travel on humans. Disgust in Paris, as people have posted photos showing bedbugs on the metro, high-speed |
| 1:13.2 | trains and airports. Now hotels here, worried they might hop across the channel. |
| 1:18.6 | UK councils like Luton in England have described what they call an alarming rise in reports |
| 1:24.8 | from residents about bedbugs. London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, has described the threat |
| 1:29.5 | of bedbugs as a real source of concern. Hotel owners dread the impact bedbugs could have |
| 1:35.6 | on their reputation. About two weeks ago, we had the detection of the bed bug. I want to tell you, |
| 1:44.0 | it's frightening. |
| 1:45.6 | So how serious is the apparent bed bug problem and what can be done about it? |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.