Identifying bed bugs and being able to distinguish them from other insects is the first such step. “Signs including concentrated dark spots on the mattress, bedsheet, in the cracks, eggs and eggshells, live or dead bugs may indicate an infestation,” says biologist András Paulovkin, Head of the Disinfection Station at Semmelweis University, Budapest.
Since bed bugs are sensitive to humidity, it makes sense to store the luggage in the bathroom when traveling. Don’t store your luggage next to the bed, place clean clothes and laundry in separate plastic bags.
A common misconception is that bed bugs can “chew their way” into the different layers of luggage, but being tick animals, they can’t.
“Their home range is 2-3 meters. In nature, there’s no unnecessary energy expenditure: bed bugs will hide in a place they can get back to with little effort,” András Paulovkin notes. With a thorough check, it is possible to find their hiding place, he adds.
Back home, immediately place your clothes in the washing machine: avoid bringing them into your living space without washing them first. If you live in a house with a garden, open your suitcase outdoors. In apartment buildings, bed bugs can travel through electrical outlets and cracks in the wall along pipes, they can also climb on clothes hung out to dry.
Certain habits favor the spread of bed bugs but keeping our surroundings spotless will not keep them away either. As András Paulovkin points out:
To effectively address the issue of bed bugs, we need to shift the public perception that associates bed bug infestations with poor hygiene.
This often leads to shame and the concealment of the problem, he adds.
Unlike other ectoparasites, bed bugs don’t stay on their hosts but seek out resting humans. They can remain unnoticed to those they bite, and their bites don’t always cause a skin reaction or other symptoms – that depends on individual sensitivity. As András Paulovkin notes:
Those who have a visible (skin) reaction are lucky as the problem doesn’t remain hidden.
The most effective way to exterminate bed bugs to date is chemical treatment. Additionally, and to decrease the number of bugs, steam (water at 100 degrees Celsius) can be used.
Excessive heat will eliminate all forms of the insect – something that cannot be done using chemicals as most kill bugs on contact and cannot penetrate the eggs.
Chemicals used by pest controllers indoors are safe, there is no withholding period set. The effect of chemicals varies; in general, it starts to fade three months after spraying. That is why surveillance is crucial as preventive measures have their limitations.
Regulatory changes in the use of insecticides and active ingredients have led to a reduction in available options, which may increase the bugs’ resistance. If bed bugs survive treatment, the resistant individuals can reproduce, making future generations more resilient.
Illustration: iStock
