As of: March 7, 2024, 7:35 a.m
By: Deborah Baran
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There is great concern about a bed bug infestation in France.
Is this also a threat to us in Germany?
How can you get rid of bed bugs and how bad is a bite?
The bed bug is spreading.
According to horror stories from Paris in the summer of 2023, it is also multiplying in Germany through tourism and trade.
Pest controllers have to be called out more and more frequently because of bedbugs.
How dangerous bed bugs are, how bad a bite is and how you can get rid of them, reports LUDWIGSHAFEN24.
Order |
Beaked Kerfe |
Family |
Flat bugs |
Art |
bed bug |
Scientific name |
Cimex lectularius |
Where do bed bugs come from?
Bed bugs are a widespread phenomenon worldwide.
It is impossible to say with certainty where the cosmopolitans come from.
It is believed that they were originally native to Asia or the Middle East.
Because of their appearance, bed bugs can easily hide and spread undetected: as stowaways, they are carried home, to hotels and other countries unnoticed in the smallest cracks and folds by tourism and trade.
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What do bed bugs look like?
They are small and thin: like a 3.8 millimeter to 5.5 millimeter piece of paper, they fit into any gap and are initially very inconspicuous.
Only when they are full of blood do the red-brown, hairy bugs reach a body length of up to 9 millimeters.
Small animal, big trouble: the bed bug © imagebroker/IMAGO
They are nocturnal, hide during the day and feed on blood.
However, adult bed bugs can go without food for up to 40 weeks and are relatively insensitive to temperatures, which is why they can survive long journeys well.
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How do you know you have bed bugs?
The bedbugs hide during the day, which is why a very light bedbug infestation is difficult to notice, although adult insects can be easily seen with the naked eye.
When the infestation is severe, it becomes clearer: small black dots - fecal stains - proliferate on the bed and in cracks where the bed bugs hide.
In cases of extreme infestation, a sweetish smell also occurs.
Can bed bugs go away on their own?
No, getting rid of bed bugs is very labor intensive.
The best advice is prevention: Since insects are most often caught in hotels, special caution should be exercised here.
It is recommended to examine potential hiding places such as slatted frames and ledges and to hang up or place luggage elevated rather than on the bed and floor.
Bed bugs also like to eat used laundry.
Therefore, store them in sealable plastic bags and wash them immediately after the trip at 60 degrees to prevent the insects from spreading further.
How to get rid of bed bugs?
Since insecticides are harmful to health, their use is not recommended.
Ideally, you should contact a professional pest controller.
Scattering bean leaves around the bed is also a good home remedy:
If the bugs make their way to the mattress at night, they get stuck on it.
The next morning the leaves should be collected and burned.
The raw material diatomaceous earth can also be scattered around the bed - this will dry out the bed bugs.
Can bed bugs survive in the washing machine?
Bed bugs do not tolerate heat and cold well.
To make sure that the bed bugs really die during the washing process, you should wash at least 60 degrees.
To kill the animals and their eggs, temperatures above 55 degrees or below -18 degrees for an extended period of time are required
You can also destroy the bugs in the microwave.
This is one way to remove bed bug infestation from textiles that cannot be washed.
Bed bug bites or stings?
This is what a bed bug bite looks like
Don't panic: Although various pathogens have been found in the bloodsuckers, bed bugs are not disease carriers.
By the way, bed bugs don't sting, they bite.
The bite is unpleasant because after a while it starts to itch like a mosquito bite.
Visually they don't differ from these either.
Small, red bumps appear on the skin after a bed bug bite.
The bites sometimes appear isolated, often in rows or groups.
Since mosquitoes are not active in winter, the presence of bed bugs is easier to detect during the cold season.
However, there are also tricks and home remedies to drive away mosquitoes.
Treat bed bug bites
Bed bug bites are treated similarly to mosquito bites.
This means that, as a rule, no special treatments are necessary; the stitches should only be coated with cortisone or special creams if allergic reactions occur.
However, you should try to resist the itching and not scratch the bites so that they do not become infected.
The stings of wasps are more painful - but anyone who is bothered by them can use some home remedies to combat the wasps.
(db)