The Rugby World Cup is in full swing over in Paris, but the city's not just playing host to rugby fans — the French capital has attracted unwelcome tourists of a different kind.
The city is being plagued by bed bugs.
The obnoxious pests are the talk of the town and have been reported in schools, trains, hospitals and cinemas. Public health officials are scrambling to control the outbreak of the blood-sucking insects.
But bed bugs aren't just a problem in Paris. According to The Bugman, Ruud Kleinpaste, the bugs have been trying to get between our bed sheets in New Zealand for some time.
"They've been here for ages," shared Kleinpaste.
"We have two species. These guys have been here for a long time because I remember when I was working for the 'Ministry of Anger and Fishheads' that a lot of people were complaining about hotels with bed bugs. Exactly what happens at the moment in France."
What are bed bugs, how do they become such a problem, and what makes the creepy crawlies tick?
"Bed bugs are actually true bugs. They've got a sucking tube with which they're really well equipped to take blood of people.
"They use our blood for protein to lay eggs, simple as that."
And the bad news? You can't kill them completely, according to Kleinpaste.
"When I was born, there were 2.5 billion people on the planet, now we're pushing over 8. These guys are basically parasites. The more we grow in numbers, the better they get. And the more insecticides we throw at them, the more resistant they get.
"Killing them is not easy," he said.
"The best way to do it is to put your mattress and your bed in the freezer for three nights. They are so resistant. They've learned to live with us."
Kleinpaste had some sage advice on how to keep the tiny, blood-sucking terrors out of our homes.
"Stop visiting dodgy accommodation and crappy hotels. Upscale a bit," he quipped.
"I'm just saying, this is how we get them [bed bugs]. Quite often in that sort of accommodation, where you can find them quite readily, even in New Zealand.
"What I think is happening in France is that maybe the bed bugs there are becoming a lot more adept at catching people, especially when there's a lot of people in the city. "
And there's no question that you'll know when a bed bug bites, according to Kleinpaste.
"You'll feel it because it itches. There are quite nice little pustules on your arms and legs.
"If they're in your bed, you'll see them in the corners and under the blankets, and where the mattress hits the wood. They sit there all the time and they only come when you're asleep at night."
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