Bedbugs had disappeared from circulation since the 1950s in France. However, the popularization of international travel and resistance to insecticides have allowed them to reappear on our territory.
“ Bedbugs are parasitic insects who live away from light, in dark spaces. Bedrooms and living rooms with sofas are mainly affected. In the event of an infestation in a home, it is necessary to carry out strict measures to limit their proliferation until elimination », Indicates the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
Tuesday September 19, 2023, a passenger started the controversy during a travel on a TGV left Paris (Gare de l’Est) by sharing via his X account. (Twitter) a disturbing photo showing an insect on a seat: “Could these be bedbugs on your trains, SNCF Voyageurs????? she commented, before specifying that “car 6 is infested, seats and carpet“.
Faced with the scale that this publication took on (viewed 4.6 million times in the space of just 2 days!), the SNCF spoke out: “To date, we have not had any confirmed presence of bedbugs in our TGVs in recent months“.
Where can you actually find bedbugs? What are the risks ? Top Santé answers you.
They can sting 90 times in a single night
Bedbugs are visible to the naked eye : they are the size of an apple seed and are generally brown. They don’t jump or fly.
Bed bugs feed on blood and can survive for several months without feeding. They can sting up to 90 times in a single night, causing itching and irritation on the skin. “ Their development is rapid and it is therefore important to intervene as quickly as possible in the event of an appearance, in order to avoid the extent of the infestation as much as possible. », Warns the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
To recognize bites on your skin, keep in mind that they look like mosquito bites and mainly occur at night, when bedbugs are active. “ These bites can be grouped in groups of 3 or 4 on the skin, sometimes in a line, and are generally located on exposed parts of the body (face, hands, arms, legs). They do not transmit disease but can cause significant itching or even allergic reactions (hives) », Specify the authority.
Bedbugs live in places where you lie down for several hours a day
To identify bed bugs, you can observe their droppings: small black dots can be distinguished on mattresses, slats or slots in the bed base, bed wood, plinths, wall corners, etc. Bed bugs mainly live in the bedroom. They flee the light and shelter in dark, narrow and inaccessible places.
There surface is not so important, it is rather the proximity of humans that attracts them. “Bedbugs are primarily attracted to body heat and human blood, which they feed on. So the favorite surfaces are those in contact with humans who are sleeping, or who are in any case inactive.“, shares Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director for our colleagues at Doctissimo.
The box spring and soft sofas, all this furniture which has folds in which pests can hide are therefore at risk. These are mostly places where you lie down for several hours a day. And by extension bedding, pillowcases, and blankets.
We also cite anything that has cracks near the bed, such as a headboard, a bedside table, etc.; cracks in your bedroom walls and baseboards; peeled wallpaper; the floor ; cracks in a wall frame; rugs, carpet; travel bags, if they have been placed on the bed or even the curtains.
“Which means that when you buy second-hand furniture for example, you have to treat it or at least check that it does not contain these bedbugs.” adds Dr. Kierzek.
What are the ways to prevent infestation?
At home, be careful to avoid cluttering spaces to reduce the number of places bed bugs can hide.
On vacation at the hotel, do not place your luggage on the bed. Store them in a luggage rack and leave them closed when not in use. Do not put your clothes on the bed or in the wardrobes until you have examined them.
When you arrive in a hotel room, check the bed (mattress, zippers, seams, padding, padding behind and around the headboard. Also take a look at the furniture and walls.