Pests Forced Us Out of Our Paris Apartment
For those of you who don’t know, finding an apartment in Paris is incredibly challenging. The city is overcrowded and expensive, so landing the right place, especially your first one, can feel nearly impossible. It gets even harder when the apartment you move into slowly turns into something you never expected.
Moving In
When my boyfriend first moved into the apartment for us, everything seemed fine. Or so we thought. The apartment was on the ground floor, which meant constant noise from the street and freezing temperatures during the winter. Still, we told ourselves it was Paris and that this was just part of the experience.
The Discovery
After a few months, during the summer, we started noticing a couple of small moths flying around the apartment. At first, it didn’t feel alarming. Every apartment has bugs now and then. Maybe we left a window open too long. We killed them and moved on.
Or at least we tried to.
A few days later, more moths appeared. Then more. It started to feel strange. Where were they all coming from?
We bought moth traps, which caught some of them, but the number never seemed to decrease. Over time, the situation only got worse. We realized most of the moths were coming from the bathroom. We searched everywhere. We inspected every corner, every drawer, every possible hiding spot. Nothing explained it.
These moths were huge and black, and they were everywhere. Inside drawers, near the toilet, in the shower. Everywhere you did not want them to be.
We thought they might be coming through the vent, so we taped it shut. We stocked up on bug spray, which helped kill a lot of them. For a moment, it felt like we were finally gaining control.
Then came the roach.
One afternoon, I was lying on the couch while my boyfriend worked from home. I was already feeling emotional because my dad had just left after visiting. My boyfriend came over to comfort me and sat down on the floor next to the couch.
Suddenly, he jumped up onto the couch, screaming at the top of his lungs.
I panicked and jumped up too, yelling, “What is it?”
He barely got the word out. “Roach.”
We frantically scanned the room, but it had disappeared under something. I ran into the bedroom and dove onto the bed, screaming for him to grab the vacuum. He rushed to get it, but still couldn’t find the roach.
Then, crawling slowly into the bedroom, there it was.
I screamed. My boyfriend ran in with the vacuum and sucked it up instantly. We both stood there, frozen.
For those who don’t know me, I am absolutely terrified of bugs. Seeing a roach in my apartment is something I never want to experience again for the rest of my life.
I told my boyfriend there was no chance I would sleep there knowing roaches were present. We packed bags and started calling hotels, desperately asking if anyone had a room available. Eventually, we found one, and for the first time that day, I felt peace.
Extermination
Now we were dealing with moths and roaches. My boyfriend called the landlord, who thankfully was very understanding and arranged for an exterminator.
The apartment was gassed not once, not twice, but three times. Somehow, there were still moths. We only found a couple of dead roaches in the kitchen afterward, which was a relief, but the moths refused to disappear.
I had no idea moths could be so resilient. My anxiety skyrocketed. I did not want to be alone in the apartment for even a minute. We had a vacuum dedicated solely to killing bugs.
Despite bug spray, extermination, and installing screens, the moths kept coming.
We thought the roaches were gone until one day my boyfriend decided to uncover the ceiling vent again. Inside was a dead cockroach, partially sticking out.
That was it.
After months of cleaning up dead moths, dealing with roaches, and living in constant fear, we knew we had to leave. We immediately started searching for a new apartment and planning our escape.
Moving Out
Moving out was its own nightmare. We were terrified of bringing moths or roaches with us. We packed carefully and washed all of our clothes multiple times to make sure nothing came along.
It was awful.
We threw away food, furniture, and clothing that the moths had destroyed. By the end, we were finding nearly 20 moths a day, dead and alive.
I was beyond relieved to finally leave. That apartment had become a living hell, and the pests had taken over our lives.
Lesson Learned
We were heartbroken to leave. We had invested so much time, money, and energy into that apartment. It was in Paris, near the Eiffel Tower, and it was our first place together. Letting it go was genuinely sad.
Luckily, we found another apartment in a nearby suburb, and I felt immediate relief knowing I would never have to coexist with those creatures again.
If there is one thing I learned from this experience, it is this.
Don’t live on the ground floor.