While the bloodsucking parasites have appeared in public transport, movie theaters and hospitals in France, in Estonia, the problem is mostly contained to homes.

Pest control companies confirm that bedbugs have found their way back to Estonia after being nearly eradicated decades ago and can hitch a ride with local travelers, foreign students or immigrants. In recent weeks, experts have been called to combat bedbugs that arrived in luggage from France.

"The uptick started five or six years ago, while there was a temporary decline during the Covid period. There are plenty of bedbugs in Estonia today," said Anneli Haavandi, head of services for pest controllers Rentokil.

She said that while the problem started in major cities, it has now spread to all corners of Estonia. "We used to have no bedbugs in smaller cities like Võru or Paide. But today we are no longer talking about Tallinn and Tartu alone."

The pest control expert said that it is a widespread misconception that bedbugs are only a problem for people who live in squalor and that these small parasites, getting rid of whom can be a real nightmare, can make their way into any bed. The difference is that while a tidy person will do their utmost to eradicate the problem, bedbugs will spread and make their way farther and farther from the homes of hoarders and those who do not care about cleanliness.

The problem is especially serious in apartment buildings, so the least a person can do is notify the apartment association as soon as one discovers bedbugs have moved in.

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