They are small, on average between 5 and 7 mm, but they have quite the appetite, in a single night, they can bite us more than 90 times. They reproduce very quickly in large cities.
How to detect their presence?
We detect the presence of bed bugs through the excrement they leave on the mattress and the stains of our blood on the sheets. Once we have been bitten, we inspect our mattress, our sheets, our cushions, the bed base but also the cracks in the wall near our bed, they lay their eggs there. We check the clothes we buy at flea markets and wash them at more than 50° in the washing machine. When you go to flea markets, you check every corner of a piece of furniture before buying it.
Are they different from floor bugs?
Yes, floor bugs live in our pets and feed on their blood. In the absence of our hairballs, we become their new source of food. They lay eggs on their host which detach and fall on the floors. The eggs will then lodge in a warm place, away from the light. And yes, they can lay eggs on us.
Enemy Profiling
During the day, bed bugs hide away from the light and, like the good vampires that they are, they come out after dark to feed. They are often located close to their food source, in other words, us! They spot our presence thanks to the CO2 that we release when we breathe and to the heat of our body. They most often attack the parts of our body that are uncovered:feet, legs, arms, hands, back and in the worst case, the face. Sleeping in ski suits and balaclavas will not help us, they pass through the fabrics.
The effects on our health
According to specialists, bedbugs do not carry diseases and there are no known risks for humans.
What to do if you've been bitten?
There is no miracle cure to prevent them from biting us or remove these unsightly pimples. In the event of a bite, it is recommended to apply an antiseptic gel to prevent infection. In case of itching, apply a soothing cream. There are also the remedies of our dear grandmother, we mix baking soda with water to form a paste that we apply to the bites. Otherwise we take a cotton that we soak in lemon juice and St. John's wort, on sale in pharmacies, and we tap the bite with the cotton. Finally we apply aloe vera which has antibiotic and antifungal properties.
How to fight them?
You have to take your troubles patiently, the extermination of bedbugs is complicated and takes some time, sometimes even a few months. You start by washing your clothes and the other fabrics in the room (mattress cover, bedding, sheets, curtains, bags) at more than 50° in the machine and then you put them in the dryer. Store everything in airtight garbage bags. We check everything, without exception, in the room, including unlikely places like the inside of a book. We pass the vacuum cleaner with steam or not by insisting in the corners, on the mattress and on the frame of the bed. If the mattress is infested, we do not throw it in the trash, at the risk of contaminating the neighborhood, we call the town hall department responsible for bulky items. Then we have three options:
Professionals:We call on a disinfection service that will inspect the premises, draw up an estimate and proceed in two stages, depending on the degree of contamination. A first passage will be used to kill the adults, two weeks later, they will come back to kill the eggs that have hatched in the meantime. On average, for a decontamination of two rooms, it takes 380€. If you are a tenant, it goes without saying that the bill goes to our landlord.
The services of the town hall:We call our town hall to inform us about the services put in place in the event of infection. In Paris, there is the SMASH (municipal health and hygiene action service). On average, a disinfection service will be charged €90 for two visits.
We do it ourselves:We can treat the problem ourselves in the event of a minor infection. To do this, you have to go to a pharmacy, a drugstore or a supermarket. Products sold in supermarkets will not be as effective as those used by specialists. This is why they must be called upon in the event of severe contamination. Bedbugs can be controlled using natural products.
– essential oils (they relieve pain and are repellent).
– diatomaceous earth (natural insecticide that is spread around the legs of the bed).
– pyrethrum (to be sprayed on the infested areas, can be combined with essential oils for more efficiency)
Can we contaminate those around us?
Clearly yes! Our professional or personal environment can be contaminated. You have to be extremely vigilant before leaving your home. You vacuum your bag, spray it with an organic or harmless insecticide for humans and above all, watch your clothes.
We won't be invaded and dominated by 5mm critters, courage!
