Europeans were given amazing advice: how to survive a bedbug invasion

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the spread of bedbugs had become a “real source of concern” and he had contacted French officials to see what advice they had to combat the pests.

According to the Mail on Sunday, the announcement follows a series of videos on social media, viewed millions of times, which allegedly show small red bugs crawling on seats and clothes on the London Underground. Meanwhile, Luton City Council said it had received an “alarming number” of calls about bedbugs, raising fears that the insects, no larger than an apple seed, were entering the UK through airports and train stations.

In France the situation is getting worse and worse. Schools were forced to close due to the infestation, while Marseille residents threw mattresses onto the streets in a desperate attempt to rid themselves of the creatures.

Could similar scenes happen in Britain? Experts speaking to the Mail on Sunday say there is no doubt the UK has a growing bedbug problem. However, all is not lost. There are still many effective methods for preventing infestations, identifying them as they appear, and eliminating them for good.

First, experts say, there is a low risk of catching bedbugs on public transport. Last week, a number of viral videos on social media claimed they were crawling on subway seats and clothing.

But French pest control expert Nicolas Roux de Beziers says: “Bedbugs don’t know how to cling to your clothes.”

Insects that feed on blood have six thin legs with claws that allow them to climb rough surfaces. However, their grip is not strong enough to hold moving objects or smooth surfaces.

Experts believe bed bugs’ main mode of travel is through bags and clothing with deep pockets, such as coats and jackets.

“Most infestations occur after someone stays in a hotel or rental property,” says Roux de Béziers, who runs the pest control website badbugs.fr. “If the room is infested, bedbugs can get into your bags or pockets. Then when you return home, you take them with you.”

Insect scientists say the outbreak in France will therefore lead to more infections in the UK.

“If there’s a bedbug outbreak in Paris, people will bring them back to the UK,” says Professor James Logan, an insect expert at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and chief executive of research firm Arctech Innovation. “They’re incredibly good hitchhikers.”

While experts believe the outbreak in France could increase the number of cases here, they say the UK already has its own bedbug problem. According to Rentokil, the number of cases of infection has increased by 65% ​​over the past year – even before the French invasion of bloodsuckers.

“Bed bug infestations are becoming more common,” says Professor Logan. “Over the last two decades they have become more resistant to insecticides and this has led to an increase in the number of bed bugs. The unseasonably warm autumn weather has also increased the risk because bed bugs live longer and They reproduce more when it’s warm.”

Experts say that while bed bugs can be annoying and costly, they are not dangerous. Research shows that parasites do not transmit any diseases, although in some rare cases they can cause allergic reactions.

“Nobody wants bedbugs, but they are not a health hazard,” adds Mr Roux de Béziers.

The key to avoiding bedbugs in your hotel is storing your clothes and bags properly, experts say.

Professor Logan advises: “Don’t put your clothes in drawers – that’s where bedbugs can hide as they like warm, dark, enclosed spaces. And don’t leave your bag open on the floor of a hotel where they can crawl in. Keep clothes in your ziplock bag.” on the shelf. If you need to put your clothes away, hang them up.”

Bug sprays are virtually useless against bedbugs. “There’s no point in using repellents on them,” says Professor Logan. “They may be gone for a few hours, but that’s not very long when you’re sleeping.”

Bedbug bites are very similar to other insect bites—usually red and itchy and no larger than a dime—but the pattern they appear on the body is a distinguishing characteristic. Often the bites appear in groups or in a line on areas of the skin exposed during sleep, such as the face, neck and arms.

“Bedbugs are opportunists and want blood as quickly as possible, so they choose exposed areas where the skin is thinnest,” explains Professor Logan. “This could be on the back, arms, legs or around the wrists.”

To know for sure, you have to find the insects. The most common location is in the seams of the mattress, so remove the sheets and take a closer look by peeling back the edges of the mattress, experts advise. Also inspect the bed frame, paying close attention to the corners and behind the headboard.

“Bedbugs are attracted to oxygen, so they like to nest above your head,” adds Roux de Béziers. – They also accumulate in sockets and under baseboards. Another sign of bed bugs is small brown specks of bed bug feces on your bedding and furniture.”

After returning home from an area where bedbugs have been spotted, Roux de Béziers recommends: “Before entering the house, place all your belongings in sealed ziploc bags and place them in the freezer for five days. This will give you complete peace of mind. that all insects have been eliminated.”

For some items, the washing machine can also be an effective means of destruction. “If you have clothes that can handle a hot wash at 60 degrees, do that. This will kill any bedbugs because they are very sensitive to heat,” says Professor Logan.

A vacuum cleaner is another useful tool. “Often when bedbugs appear they are difficult to detect for the first few weeks because they haven’t laid any more eggs,” says Mr Roux de Béziers. “But that means there’s a chance you can get rid of them before then.” how they will spread everywhere. The best thing to do is to take a vacuum cleaner and run it through all the cracks in your home. In the corners of the sofa, under picture frames and under your bedside table. Then use a steamer to allow the steam to penetrate as much as possible deeper into the cracks. This may be enough to eliminate them.”