The Parisian bed bugs have allegedly been spotted crawling along London's public transport.
There's still a long way to go before we can call it an invasion but once they're in you're home, they can be difficult to eliminate. Although most expect them to be found in beds, they also have a habit of infesting towels.
They're also highly resistant to pesticides because of genetic mutations, so dealing with any infected item as promptly as possible is of the utmost importance.
READ MORE: Nicknames that Scousers will always choose over 'official' place names
READ MORE: Friday night pub quiz: 20 pub quiz questions to test your general knowledge – October 13
Experts from Eco Pest Supply have explained on their blog that the bloodsucking pests "are most often found in the bedroom, as they need human blood to survive and they feed at night".
Generally they "like to stay close to their feeding place, aka your bed" but if you have an en-suite or a nearby bathroom, the experts explain that bed bugs can easily hide out there in the daytime, which is why towels are on their list of top locations you may find the pests, the Mirror reported.
When it comes to getting rid of the bed bugs, thoroughness is crucial and the experts explain this starts with making sure you "isolate" the room with the infested towels in. Experts on the blog said: "There should be no new items added or some taken away from the room while the infestation is present. This is also true for the laundry, sheets, clothes, and other washable items from your bedroom."
"So, first things first, get some big plastic bags or bin bags and place your infested towels and anything else washable from the room inside it, before tying it tightly closed "to prevent some of the bed bugs from escaping."
"Then, get them straight into the washing machine and clean the items on the highest heat program possible, the experts recommend adding "specialised laundry detergent that kills bed bugs" because while most of the eggs and bugs will not survive the high temperatures, "it's a good idea to lower the risk of survival by adding natural detergents that are meant just for this."
The experts advise then putting your laundry in the tumble dryer and once more using "the highest heat possible that will not damage the items but will ensure bed bug elimination."
Once the laundry is taken care of, clean the room itself. They recommend hoovering and using rubbing alcohol or pesticide sprays on all possible surfaces to make sure no stray bugs are left behind. If you're concerned about using either of those on soft furnishings like your sofa, you're going to want to get hold of a steamer because high temperatures are one of the best weapons in your arsenal against bed bugs.
Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the Echo Daily newsletter here