Bedbugs have been the scourge of society for eons. It’s bad enough that you may find them in your hotel room. But if they hop a ride on someone’s stuff, they can wreak havoc, such as intermittent closures at an airport earlier this year or places you might not even think of. There have even been whole articles devoted to “how to not bring bedbugs home with you.”
Different cities can have more bedbugs than others. In fact, Orkin keeps an annual list of which cities had the most calls for bedbugs (here’s the most recent list).
But Orkin only covers the U.S. So when English-speaking tourists in Athens were suddenly targeted with warnings about bedbugs, many would be none the wiser.
According to bulletins posted outside apartment buildings in the city center, part of Athens had been overrun with bedbugs:
PC: Public Domain
Official Announcement
Dear Visitors,
Please be advised that effective immediately (04.12.2023), the Greek Health Department has issued a call to evacuate private guesthouses in the neighbourhood of Exarcheia to protect the public health of permanent Greek Tenants.
Due to a Cimex lectularius plague, better known as bed bugs, the guesthouse owners where [sic] informed to stop renting out appartments [sic] in this neighbourhood according to law inforcement [sic] (Article 285 – Criminal Code (Law 4619/2019) ) until further notice.
Violation will cause a
fine up to 500 Euro
for houseowners and guests likewise.
Thank you for your understanding, enjoy your stay in Greece!
Sincerely,
Municipality of Athens, Ministry of Health
Typos and grammar errors notwithstanding, seeing an “official” letter like this could scare some tourists out of their short-term rentals in a hot minute. And apparently, that was exactly the point. Apparently, the letters are a hoax.
Like so many other cities, the huge numbers of short-term rentals provided by Airbnb, VBRO, etc, have made it difficult for locals to find housing due to high prices and lack of availability. It eventually reached the point where large cities that attract tourists, such as New York City, have placed near-insurmountable rules about short-term rentals, while at least one entire country has banned short-term rentals.
Other cities haven’t really pulled in the reins, and residents have to deal with a lack of affordable housing. So apparently, some hoaxers in Athens decided to take matters into their own hands and invent a bed bug crisis, complete with fines.
When Greece’s health ministry got wind of this, they went ballistic. They called the bed bug infestation a “complete lie“. They informed the police “to do what is necessary” about the hoax, continuing that “nobody is allowed to terrorize and misinform the public” on public health issues.
So yeah…the bed bugs in Greece? A hoax. The ones in France a couple of months ago? Not a hoax.
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