October 2023 – For days now, public opinion has been focusing attention on what is happening in the city of Paris, invaded by bed bugs. The infestation began in mid-September, when news spread about a significant increase in sightings of these insects in homes, hotels, cinemas, on trains and even in hospitals.
But what are these bloodsucking insects that are obsessing Parisians and risk spreading throughout France and Europe?
Bed bugs: what are they
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are small pest insects in dimensions around 5 mm.
They need human blood to survive and then grow, mate and reproduce. Each female can lay around 500 eggs throughout her life. Their body is flattened, reddish brown in color if they are fasting and tending towards black if they have ingested blood.
They prefer to live in the bedrooms e sting people at night. They are very good at hiding and therefore difficult to detect and capable of spreading very quickly throughout all the rooms of a property if they find a welcoming environment.
Bed bug infestation: consequences
Bed bugs they bite humans they cause no pain and do not transmit any disease. However, they can cause discomfort such as itching, pink-red specks on the skin and in some cases their bite can end up having psychological consequences.
This depends on the fact that they tend to invade environments where we usually feel safe and protected and attack us during sleep when we are particularly defenseless. Knowing that you have to live forcibly with a parasite that feeds on your blood can lead to states of anxiety and insomnia.
The bed bug has also become, especially in recent years, a harmful synanthrope of primary importance, causing considerable inconvenience and huge economic losses, especially in the hotel and transport sectors, environments that allow the bug to reproduce all year round.
Bed bugs: where they hide and what to do
How can we understand if our home is invaded by bed bugs?
We said that these small insects are very good at hiding, waiting for the night to arrive so they can feed on our blood. In fact, during the day, they are hidden in their dens usually represented by the seams of mattresses, cracks in bed frames and upholstery, cracks in walls, but also electrical sockets and smoke holes.
It is therefore very important to check their presence inspecting:
- mattresses
- tests
- carpets
- carpet
- nightstands
- sofas
- tends
- furnishings
- later crepe
- cracks
We also check:
- if when we wake up we have some stings on the body
- if there are any on the mattress excrement, i.e. tiny black dots
- if there are any on the sheets specks of blood, perhaps due to some crushed bedbug or le esuvie, or the hard covering of their body, which are released every time they increase in size
When for a holiday or for work reasons we happen to sleep in a hotel it is a good idea to always inspect the bed by checking the sheets, mattress, headboard, base or slats. Upon our return it is essential to also check the bagagli. It is in fact possible that the bedbugs in the mattresses or in the cracks in the walls of the room where we stayed have slipped into our suitcases and stuck to our clothes.
Let's remember that bed bugs are not attracted to dirt and are therefore not a sign of poor hygiene in a place, but clean and sanitize regularly, periodically using steam and therefore high temperature tools, can help keep them away. The ideal temperature range for their survival is 20-30°. 35-40° they can still tolerate them, but 45° they become lethal.
Union BIO recommends
BED BUGS NATURAL STOP is a ready-to-use product containing synergistic plant extracts that act as a physical barrier to bed bugs, capable of not allowing these small insects to climb up the structure of the infested object.
With Eucalyptus, which has a good antiseptic action, Citronella and Geranium with a repellent effect against insects, BED BUGS is ideal for both private and public spaces (houses, hotels, hospitals, schools, means of transport, etc.).
The product must be sprayed in the areas to be protected (mattress, bed frame, sheets, suitcases, etc.)
It is not harmful to humans and pets, leaves no residue, does not stain and releases a pleasant fragrance.
It is recommended to use the product initially for three consecutive days and subsequently as needed.
