Known before World War II, bed bugs stopped roaming around at night in the 1950s. With the improvement in sanitary conditions and the advent of powerful insecticides, it was possible to eradicate them in industrialized countries.
Bed bug
It was too good to last … Since the late 1990s, bed bugs have resurfaced with a vengeance. Resistance to approved insecticides can explain this recurrence. The increasing influx of travelers has made it possible for these bugs to unwittingly wander to new places in their luggage, most of the time. They can now be found in many places around the world, such as hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, and schools. According to many specialists, if you were bitten while sleeping during a risky stay, it is advisable to wash your clothes immediately after taking them out of the suitcase.
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Health and bed bugs
Bed bugs are parasitic insects that crave human blood. They have a mouth that is supposed to bite and suck blood under the skin. They prick the skin with a syringe and inject a small amount of saliva, which contains an anesthetic and an anticoagulant that thin the blood. And off to the party … The bed bug leaves an unpleasant memory, small red pimples that itch. A dermatologist may prescribe a skin cream to help relieve itching.
Bed bugs can suck up blood contaminated with infectious agents. However, so far there is no evidence that bed bugs are able to reproduce the pathogens and then re-inject them into another person. In other words, bed bugs don’t spread disease from one person to another.
Important steps to get rid of bed bugs
Every house can be settled regardless of its hygiene. If so, you will have to take five or six steps to get rid of them.
The first step is to determine the type of insect. That’s because bites don’t always mean bed bugs. In fact, other insects feed on us: mosquitoes, fleas, lice, etc.
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Second, it is important to know the extent of the invasion. The process of eradication depends on the number of bugs present. To do this, the risk areas (beds, mattresses and curtains) must be examined.
If it is confirmed that the house is infested with these terrible insects, mechanical inspection without the use of insecticides is highly recommended in order to reduce the number of insects as much as possible. However, care must be taken not to scatter them by knocking over or moving furniture. There are several possible solutions: vacuuming (then cleaning the vacuum cleaner), machine washing above 60 ° C, tumble drying, steam cleaning, or freezing at -20 ° C or less.
Use a professional company
For the few remaining bed bugs, pest control companies can use chemical control. It is imperative that these specialists come at least twice with an interval of 15 days between visits. This will help get rid of any insecticide-resistant eggs that may have hatched between the two procedures.
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After the mechanical and chemical inspection has been carried out, it is advisable to check the effectiveness by watching for the appearance of new bites for a month.
To avoid future infestation, collective housing can be restored by, for example, filling the cracks with silicone.
As you must have understood, the fight against bed bugs must be ruthless and regular monitoring of the places where they live must be established. Research teams are working to develop new disinfectants.
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References
Do-it-yourself bed bug control
