Particularly stubborn parasites
Bedbugs are small insects that most often hide in mattresses and box springs. They feed on blood and bite at night. They are carried in clothing and luggage, when traveling or buying second-hand bedding, furniture, books and clothing.
Bed bugs are particularly tenacious because their life expectancy can exceed a year without food. A female lays 5 to 15 eggs per day, causing a very rapid proliferation.
Everyone can be affected
Between 2016 and 2020, 7% of French people had been affected by bed bugs. Their presence does not reflect a lack of cleanliness, and everyone can be the victim of an infestation in their home.
Bedbugs do not transmit disease but their bites cause itching and allergic reactions. Their infestation can also have consequences on the psychological state of the victims who feel powerless against these pests. This can lead them to use inappropriate processes to eradicate them, some of which are ineffective or even dangerous.
Use of poisonous chemicals
With increasing infestations, Poison centers record more and more cases of poisoning caused by the chemicals used to control these pests. The main symptoms are respiratory discomfort, cough, oropharyngeal pain or irritation, but also itching, headaches or dizziness. Serious poisoning and death have also been reported, more frequent with products banned in France.
Initially, favor non-chemical means
To get rid of bedbugs, and before resorting to insecticides, the Ministry of Health recommends favor the following practices:
- Using a vacuum cleaner, meticulously vacuum all surfaces to capture eggs and parasites. Then clean the vacuum cleaner duct, wrap the bag in a plastic bag and throw it in an outdoor trash can to avoid contaminating other places;
- make a machine clothes and linens over 55°C;
- if there is no washing machine, put the clothes in the freezer at -17°C for at least 72 hours;
- clean nooks or upholstery with a high-temperature dry steamer (at least 120°C), (available for hire), which destroys all stages of bedbugs.
In case of failure, it is recommended that you contact a pest control specialist rather than applying the insecticide products yourself. In any case, after applying the products, it is essential to respect the indicated re-entry period, that is to say the period from which one can return to the treated place. This avoids any risk of poisoning.