- Bed bugs: how to recognize their bites?
- Bed bugs: how do you know if you have them in the house?
- Bed bugs: how to get rid of them?
- Bed bugs: what does the insect repellent do?
- Bed bugs: how to avoid them?
The invasion of bed bugs is on the rise in France. At issue: international travel and the development of resistance to insecticides. There are no official statistics on their infestation, but the Chambre Syndicale des Métiers de Ratisation, Pest Control and Disinfection (CS3D) has figures which show that all the places of accommodation are exposed to infestations, that they are whether private housing, hotels, seasonal rentals or even university residences and sometimes hospitals. The interventions of these specialists increased by 30% between 2018 and 2019, and then jumped by 76% between 2019 and 2020.
Faced with this concern (because it is not easy to get rid of bedbugs), the government published, on March 10, 2022, its interministerial plan to fight against bedbugs in order to improve awareness and to intensify mobilization in all sectors of activity affected by this scourge. Through this Plan, the ministries concerned intend to:
- Launch an information campaign intended to prevent and identify infestation as soon as possible by raising awareness among the most exposed individuals and professionals;
- Support the detection and treatment sectors in order to improve the treatment of infestations and direct individuals to recognized professionals;
- Monitor the phenomenon to better adapt public policies to the reality on the ground and infestations, in particular with the launch of a national observatory in September 2022;
- Clarify the responsibilities between landlords and tenants;
- Consolidate scientific and technical expertise on bedbugs and the means to combat infestations.
Bed bugs: how to recognize their bites?
A real scourge, bed bugs only bite at night and hide the rest of the time. They can bite up to 90 times in a single night, causing sometimes unbearable itching. “There is no need to panic, however, tempers Dr. Pascal Delaunay, parasitologist-entomologist at the Nice University Hospital. If you are not bitten at night, it is because you do not have bed bugs at home! And if you are, there are many other explanations: mosquitoes, but also fleas.” On the other hand, if it lasts, if the number of bites on the uncovered parts increases for no apparent reason, it’s time to turn into a detective.
>> What do their bites look like? These bites can be grouped together by 3 or 4 on the skin, sometimes in a row, and are generally located on the uncovered parts of the body (face, hands, arms, legs). They do not transmit disease but can cause severe itching or even allergic reactions (urticaria).
Bed bugs: how do you know if you have them in the house?
Bed bugs are visible to the naked eye and are usually brown, they do not jump or fly. The adult is the size of an apple seed. The white eggs measure 1mm.
“Ideally, says our specialist, we should be able to catch at least one to have it identified by a specialist, preferably an entomologist. If necessary by a pharmacist or a general practitioner, if they are familiar with it. The problem is that they are mostly active at night and shun light. This explains why their caches are difficult to find. »
>> Bed bugs mainly live in the bedroom. Certain signs may indicate their presence, such as the concentration of their droppings (small black dots) on the mattresses, sometimes accompanied by bloodstains on the sheets. We also find droppings on the slats or slots of the bed base, bed wood, baseboards, corners of the walls. If only one sleeper is stung, or if a person is stung on only one arm, searches will preferably be conducted nearby.
Bed bugs: how to get rid of them?
The larger the infestation, the more bedbugs move to other rooms in the house and to other dwellings. They can enter anywhere, including if your home is clean. It is possible to carry out the fight alone, but it is best to seek advice from a specialist.
>> What can we do alone? The Ministry of Ecological Transition advises starting with the most exposed areas, i.e. the bed and its immediate environment.
- Machine wash at over 60°C, for bed linen and clothes that support it, allowing the elimination of bedbugs and eggs. The laundry is transported from the bedroom to the washing machine in a closed bag. Linen and clothes washed in this way should be kept in sealed plastic bags until the end of the infestation.
- Tumble dry (hot mode at least 30 minutes).
- Careful use of a dry steamer, that is to say at high temperature (at least 120°C), which destroys all stages of bed bugs in corners or upholstery.
- Freezing laundry or small objects at -20°C, 72 hours minimum.
- Aspiration (with the fine nozzle of the vacuum cleaner) of eggs, young and adults highlighted. Warning: the vacuum cleaner does not kill the insect, which could later come out of the bag. It is therefore necessary to close the bag, wrap it in a plastic bag and throw it in an outdoor trash can. Do not forget to clean the vacuum cleaner duct with soapy water or with a household cleaning product.
- Brush cleaning : brushing certain corners or fabrics dry or with a surface cleaner is an additional step to remove eggs or young insects that are difficult to highlight. Attention, the brushing does not kill them, it is thus necessary to associate the vacuum cleaner or a big cleaning of the ground to it.
>> It is best to get rid of contaminated mattresses or furniture, but these must not be sold or left on the street. Make sure they go straight to landfill and are not salvageable (render them unusable).
Bed bugs: what does the insect repellent do?
Bed bugs have developed resistance to almost all over-the-counter insecticides. The latter can also present significant risks with respect to the environment and human health when they are used without precaution. For a chemical fight against bedbugs, it is therefore advisable to call on companies specializing in detection (in particular those using dogs) by asking for guarantees (training, training certificate) and in the treatment of the bugs. infestation.
>> For insecticide treatmentensure that the professional is in possession of a valid Certibiocide certificate issued by the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
“While pest control companies weren’t always aware of what to do 10 years ago, that’s no longer the case today,” emphasizes Dr. Delaunay. They intervene twice at 15 days interval in order to eliminate the bugs which would not have been killed at the egg stage during the first passage. »
For this action to be effective, the premises must be prepared. It is therefore necessary to store and clean the parts concerned. In practice: clear the furniture likely to be infested (bedside tables, etc.) of the linen they contain and remove the bedding. Then wash at 60°C so as not to contaminate the rest of the house.
>> Stay alert for 1 to 2 months after the procedure to ensure complete elimination of bedbugs. If necessary, plan follow-up visits with the professional.
Bed bugs: how to avoid them?
At home :
- Avoid cluttering spaces to reduce the number of places bed bugs can hide.
- Wash second-hand clothes at over 60°C or put them in the dryer on the hottest cycle for at least 30 minutes or freeze them for 72 hours.
- Clean with a specialized heat device (available for rent) the furniture recovered in the street or bought in flea markets before bringing them into your home.
In the hotel :
- Do not put your luggage on the floor or on the bed, let alone under the bed (there is usually a luggage rack) and leave it closed during the stay.
- Do not put your clothes on the bed or in the cupboards before having examined them scrupulously.
- Check the bed : the mattress, the zippers, the seams, the tufting of the upholstery, behind and around the headboard.
- Check furniture and walls : furniture frame and upholstery, using an object with a hard corner such as a credit card.
Returning from a trip:
- Check your luggage for bedbugstake out the clothes and examine all your belongings
- Wash clothes and fabric items in hot water (if possible at 60°), whether they have been worn or not
- Heat non-washable fabric items in the dryer on the highest setting possible for 30 minutes
- Vacuum the suitcases and immediately dispose of the vacuum bag in a tightly closed plastic bag.
Our Experts:
- Dr Pascal Delaunay, parasitologist at the University Hospital of Nice
- Bed bugs, the State supports you, Ministry of Ecological Transition, March 2022
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