LAnd punaises de litor bed bugs, are invading Paris. Smaller than classic bedbugs, they are in fact as large as a watermelon seed, these insects usually nest in homes. Usually, because now they are found almost everywhere: from airports to public transport, from high-speed trains to waiting rooms. In short, bed bugs are conquering the French capital and the rest of the country. And the government is trying to take action. Also because, although not dangerous, a bedbug bite is very itchy.
Bed bugs are back in Paris
301 days before the start of the Olympics, Paris finds itself having to deal with a problem that is also involving the Elysée: that of bed bugs. These are hematological insects, that is, they feed on human blood, which had practically disappeared in France already in the 1950s. In recent years they have returned: and, because of them, since this summer the situation seems to be out of control. So much so that the mayor of the capital, Anne Hidalgo, has asked the government for a more structured intervention and the Elysée is ready to act.
6-8 millimeters large, as much as a watermelon grain, bed bugs are reddish in color, have a rounded shape that resembles a heart and live for a maximum of 6 months. They are so called because they nest above all in beds, particularly in mattresses, but also behind furniture, bedside tables and paintings. To sting they need time, approximately 3 to 6 minutes, and for their “victim” to be immobile: for this reason they prefer the night hours to go into action. Also because they are not lovers of light, so much so that they die within a few minutes if exposed to direct sunlight.
Unlike lice, these insects they don’t need a constant temperature, which is why they don’t live attached to humans and they are very fertile: each female can lay up to 5 eggs a day with an average of around 500 eggs over her lifetime.
From public transport to the home, how they enter the house
The Cimex lectularius Lastreille, this is the scientific name, are not only present at home. Or better, when they are found within the home walls it is because they have been brought from outside. It is in fact very likely to come across these animals in hostels or hotels and especially on means of transport, from public ones to planes, ships or trains. This is where, between the folds of the seats, these insects creep in. Bringing them home is therefore very easy.
Not only that but according to a study conducted by Dr. Corraine McNeill, associate professor in biology at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, bedbugs behave differently depending on the environment. The doctor’s team has in fact conducted an experiment in the laboratory, later reported by Journal of Medical Entmologywhich highlighted how these insects are more attracted to fabrics in dark colors, red or black, than light ones, tending to avoid yellow and green. There is still no real reason other than that, since the insects themselves are reddish, they prefer fabrics where they can camouflage themselves.
What to do against bed bugs
To protect yourself from bed bugs there are some precautions to keep in mind. First of all, if you have just returned from a trip, it is advisable to disinfect your suitcases in which these insects love to nest. It is then important always wash clothes and sheets very well, even at high temperatures.
Although these insects do not transmit any disease, they can be very annoying: their bites are barely visible, but very itchy and take a long time to disappear. The attending physician can administer skin disinfectants or antihistamines and in cases of superinfection from treatment also antibiotics.
If you realize you have If your house is infested with bed bugs, it is also important to take some measures, but not others. Prhyme of everything do not use insecticides: you only risk flushing them out and causing them to invade every corner of the house. For the same reason, do not leave clothes and suitcases around the house where they are present, nor sleep in other rooms or, worse, by relatives. The risk of spreading them is very high. The wardrobes must be emptied and the clothes washed either dry-cleaned or in the washing machine at 60°, closed in plastic bags. The mattresses, the structure of the bed itself, the skirting boards, the jambs and the doors must be treated with steam at at least 100° and the compartments under the bed must also be emptied and cleaned perfectly. To all this must be added one professional disinfestation: it can last up to two months because bed bugs are difficult insects to eradicate.
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