About an hour outside Vienna, the Penny Markt in Krems an der Donau prides itself on two things: low, low prices, and the provenance of its meat and fresh produce. But one mild August day last year, shoppers rummaging for a locally-sourced bargain found a rather more exotic, if less welcome, surprise, lurking amid the banana crates.
“I’m often asked how climate change is affecting our business. Well, given that humans have already transported all the major pests to pretty much every country, and certainly every major human center of activity, not as much as you might think,” Green tellsThe good news is that those worrying about bumping into errant Brazilian Wandering Spiders can relax.
Then there are bed bugs. Even before the recent surge, infestations were costing the French economy €230 million annually, according to health agencyA pest control worker from Societe Mesnuisibles displays a smartphone photograph of a bed bug infestation in Paris, France, on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. A rash of bedbug sightings across France is causing paranoia among travelers and becoming a sore spot for the government as Paris prepares to host the Olympics next year.
31 March 2022, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Langenau: On the bark of an oak tree is the web of the oak processionary moth. With its stinging hairs, the oak processionary moth causes skin rashes and damages trees: it is native to the southwest and calls forestry workers to the scene in the spring. Photo: Stefan Puchner/dpa Rats, mice, cockroaches and the like all share characteristics that make them ideally suited to living intimately with humans, whether we want them to or not.
So what can we expect? In Europe, climate change and human activity are unlikely to make lethal spiders a regular part of grocery shopping, or to bring about tropical levels of mosquito-borne diseases.