Bed bugs bite when you sleep, this is how you get rid of them | Dirty critters

Bedbugs have thrived in our country since the 1990s. The animals are increasingly resistant to pesticides. And because we travel more, we accidentally take them with us in our luggage. “If you don’t want to take them home, always check the beds during your trip,” says Kirsten Runow, Environment and Health adviser at GGD Groningen. “Bed bugs hide in mattresses, or in the slatted base and conversion of a bed. So never put your suitcase on or under the bed, but in the bathroom or on a luggage rack. When you get home, also check whether there are no bugs in your clothes.

Bedbugs are brown, oval-shaped insects about five millimeters in size. They like dark and warm places and live on the blood of people and pets. When it’s light, they hide in cracks and crevices, making them hard to spot. How do you know you have them at home? “Dark spots or specks in your bed can indicate bedbug poop,” says Runow. “Because they are molting, you can find translucent patches of skin around their hiding places.” A sweet, foul odor can also be a sign. “Some people think they smell like dirty laundry.”

You won’t get sick, but bed bugs are very annoying. When they bite – usually when you sleep – you get red, itchy bumps. “If you see a number of bites in a row, you are usually dealing with a bed bug. The itching and bumps go away on their own after a while.”

The females lay about 200 eggs, so eradicating them is not easy. Never work with chemicals yourself, Runow warns. ,,For a reliable fighter you can look at the websites of the Dutch Association of Pest Management Companies and the Pest Control Platform. Those companies are certified and can handle them safely.”

Do you want to get started yourself? Then a tip from the RIVM: wash your sheets at sixty degrees or higher, dry the laundry in the dryer or iron it as hot as possible. This kills the bed bugs and the eggs.

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