DIE WELT (Germany)
LONDON - Naples may be battling an infestation of large red cockroaches this summer, but not to be outdone is London which, experts say, will be awash in bed bugs (Cimex lectularius). So anyone planning to visit the British capital for the Olympics is likely not only to encounter heightened security but an army of exterminators, reports Die Welt.
Australian scientist Cameron Webb warned that the London infestation of bed bugs could reach the same proportions as the one in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics, and advised visitors not to take any home with them – take the hotel soap, but lose the bugs.
The critters are not known for being fussy about where they bed down – luxury accommodation or hovel, it’s all the same to them.
And London is considered to be the world’s bed bug capital, to the extent that some tourism experts with a sense of humor have suggested that bed bugs should take their place right up there with Big Ben and Tower Bridge as city icons -- especially this summer. After all, the Olympic creed says that the most important thing is taking part, and nobody takes part more enthusiastically and ubiquitously than Cimex lectularius.
Photo- Fairfax County
