People in Hong Kong are buying insect killers and hiring pest control services as fears over bed bugs in the city grow.
A widely shared photo of a brown, oval-shaped insect on an Airport Express train seat has sparked fear of an invasion of these pesky bloodsuckers in the city.
The picture, snapped last Thursday, prompted Hong Kong’s rail operator MTR Corp to carry out a deep cleaning of some of its trains, including those on the Airport Express, high-speed rail and Disneyland lines.
While an MTR spokesman said no bed bugs were found, the incident was enough to spark panic among people in Hong Kong, following reports from South Korea, France and Britain of bedbug infestations.
Inquiries about pest controls have increased in Hong Kong, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Mr Francisco Pazos, owner and head technician at pest control company Nobedbugs-HK, said the firm has an “unbelievable” amount of work, having “done a month’s work in the last three days”.
He told SCMP: “Hong Kong is like Disneyland for bed bugs... because it is so dense, there are lots of places for them to lay eggs but also move from person to person.”
The Hong Kong newspaper also said e-commerce platform Shopline has seen a 172 times increase in sales of pest control and bed bug-killing products during the Singles’ Day 11.11 sales over the weekend.
One of the top sellers was an anti-bed bug travel kit.
The Hong Kong authorities have begun distributing leaflets warning about bed bugs to passengers at the airport, reported British media outlet The Independent.
An Airport Authority Hong Kong spokesman said on Monday that no bed bugs have been found at the Hong Kong International Airport, reported SCMP.
Speaking to RTHK’s Hong Kong Today programme, Professor Chiu Siu-wai, honorary senior research fellow of the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s School of Life Sciences, said bed bugs are already common in the city.
“A bed bug is a blood-sucking insect. It is quite common in Hong Kong. We conducted a survey in 2021 and, at that time, one-sixth of the respondents said they had found bed bugs at their home,” she said.
The best way to prevent bed bugs is through good personal hygiene, she added.
Fears of bed bugs aside, Pest Control Personnel Association of Hong Kong vice-president Chan Wai-keung said a possible bed bug invasion in Hong Kong’s public transport was unlikely, the SCMP reported last Wednesday.
“Luckily in Hong Kong, there have been no bed bug outbreaks in public transport where pest control is conducted regularly. If it is done properly, there is no chance of infestation in public transport.”
