bed bugs They were one of those pests that They believed they were controlled in Europe, at least until now. Because for a few weeks now, Paris has been invaded by these insects: hotels, cinemas, public transport… So much so that the city council has already asked Macron for help to exterminate them.
In Spain, as in the rest of neighboring countries, This situation is very worryingsince bed bugs are known as ‘the traveling plague’as explained by Jacinto Díez, head of communications and spokesperson for Rentokil Initial:
“Bed bugs sneak into suitcases very easily., or they stick to our clothes without us realizing it, and we end up taking them home. “The same thing happens with merchandise that arrives in Spain from all over the world.”
Do the bedbugs invading Paris feed on blood?
The weather It is also an important factor when we talk about pests. As pointed out by the Dr. Patricia Guillem, professor of Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine of the European University:
“Bed bugs, like many other insects, They decrease their activity when the cold arrives. “Due to climate change, the fact that high temperatures continue in October favors their continued reproduction.”
bed bugs responsible for the plague in France are of the hematophagous type, that is, they feed on blood, both humans and animals. And his bite is very annoyingwhich may cause allergic reactions.
Besides, bed bugs are small and slippery so it is essential to know identify warning signs to stop them before they become a plague.
Public health problems of bed bugs. Is Spain at risk of plague?
As Dr. Guillem explains, bed bugs in principle, they do not transmit diseasesHowever, they are a public health problem that must be paid attention to:
“Insects actn as vectors when transmitting diseases. And although this is not the case with this specific type of bedbug, The plague cannot be allowed to spread. You must always bet on extermination“
And although he points out that In Spain it is difficult to reach the level of infection in FranceObviously, this is something that no one can say with certainty.
For his part, Jacinto Díez explains that In our country there are important prevention protocols and pest control, both at the state and private level.
For example, Rantokil works with many hotels not only on pest extermination, but also with detection training sessions so that employees know how to identify the presence of these insects.
Early detection is essential for bed bug control, as it is a very prolific insect..
How to know if there are bedbugs at home: warning signs
1. We must know how to identify the bite of bed bugs
Bed bugs are insects that feed on blood, so the first warning sign will always be bites.
Although as Dr. Guillem clarifies, bed bugs don’t sting, they bite. Therefore, the injury is different from what a mosquito can cause, for example.
“While a mosquito bite causes redness and swelling in the area, bed bugs leave slightly larger wounds on the skinGiven the it is a bite“explains Dr. Guillem.
Additionally, bed bug bites They are very itchy and usually appear in groups, one close to another..
The doctor recommends Do not scratch the area, and treat it with some topical creams for insect bites or even antihistamines if we have a history of allergies, to prevent the situation from worsening.
In short, if we notice that we wake up with bites frequently, we must thoroughly inspect our rest areassuch as the sofa or bed, which are the preferred areas for bed bugs to nest.
2. Look for brown or reddish stains on the sheets
It must be taken into account that Bed bugs are very slippery insects that hide in folds, in cracks in the headboard, in the sheets.… That’s why they are sometimes difficult to see.
One way to detect them is looking for reddish or brown stains on the sheetssince the excrement of bed bugs is this color due to the hemoglobin in the blood.
3. Pithe or eggs
While this is harder to see, bed bugs shed their skinso we could also see thin, almost translucent fur around the bed.
As to The eggs are small and yellowish in color.and if we look we can identify them in contrast with some darker surface.
It is important to pay attention to these signssince it is not so easy to see adult individuals. If you see several adult bed bugs easily visible, that’s bad. It may be a sign that we are facing a worrying number of population.
Yes we have pets It is also advisable to check their fur, their beds and their toys.
What do we do if we have bedbugs at home?
Both Dr. Guillem and Díez agree that The best advice is to notify a specialized companyto treat the root problem, and effectively.
Jacinto Díez warns that home methods don’t work:
“Currently, the products Insecticides act only against young and adult individuals, but not eggs. That’s why, reinfection is easy to occur if not treated properly. We usually work with a heat technique. It is not toxic and is also very effective with both adult specimens and eggs.”
Practical tips to prevent bed bugs
If we return home from a tripthe most recommended is examine thoroughly both the suitcase and our clothes, because, as Díez remembers, girls are ‘travelers’:
“When we arrived home, we must leave the suitcase in the bathroom, or on the terrace, and thoroughly inspect seams and zippers. The same with clothes, no more putting the clothes in the closet: direct them to the washing machine at 60º degrees“
Dr. Guillem provides some tips to prevent bugs in our daily lives:
Wear clothes made of resistant fabrics (like the cowboy) and that it covers our extremities, areas such as ankles and wrists if we go to places where there may be bedbugs, such as the field.
Apply insecticide for personal use that we can buy in a pharmacy, for mosquitoes and other insects.
Wash clothes frequently at high temperatures and also use the dryer.
Other pests in Spain
Related news
In addition to cockroaches or rats, in Spain there are increasingly more presence of potentially dangerous pestsas a consequence of a globalized world.
Jacinto Díez highlights some that are currently controlled, but pose a threat:
Tiger Mosquito. Worries about your viral disease transmission capacity such as dengue, Zika, or yellow fever, among others.
Asian wasp, which is widely established in the Cantabrian coast and the Atlantic area of Galicia. The main problem is that these wasps They are predators of bees, with all that this entails for the pollination process and honey production. Also destroy cropssince Asian wasps feed on fruits.