Many people online are worried about sleeping tight after recent news of a bedbug infestation in Paris. But exterminators — some who have built large followings online for their pest advice — say bedbugs have been, and always will be, around.
“There’s no additional risk, because bedbugs are everywhere,” said Weston Storey, the exterminator behind the TikTok account exterminatorking.
So, there’s no reason to panic — at least not yet, according to Storey and other experts who spoke with NBC News.
Heightened bedbug fears permeated TikTok this week as U.S. influencers began flying home from Paris Fashion Week, which ended Tuesday. Videos of bedbugs on public transportation in Paris were almost inescapable on social media. Overall interest in bedbug videos on TikTok rose, with the hashtag #bedbugs amassing 6 million views in the last seven days.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
People have posted videos scanning for bedbugs and sharing how they think the insects will start infesting U.S. cities because of travelers that bring them stateside.
Read more at NBCNews.com.