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Faeces and bedbugs: where we put our heads when we sleep

National Geographic's warning against dust dwellers. The dark side of the night

National Geographic's warning against dust dwellers. The dark side of the night

Bedbugs are small creatures that like to hide and proliferate in environments where humans or any other warm-blooded animal is present. Often, as they travel with people from one hotel to another, they find their way into our homes. They can be found in the folds of the mattress, in the wood of the bed slats and even in clothes.

Although they are very small animals, the bites are easily recognisable. Initially they look very much like those of a common mosquito, except that they are often in groups of 3, all in a line, because adult bedbugs sting 3 times and move very little.

National Geographic, in this regard, has published a very nice (and a bit disturbing...) video that effectively shows everything you need to know about bedbugs. You can see it by clicking here.

The most common mistakes that make pest control fail

The most common mistakes that make pest control fail

There are four simple clues to recognise the presence of bedbugs in our homes:

  • Bug bites: these are not painful and can be confused with those of other insects. However, they last longer than mosquito bites (which are rare in winter) and often appear in rows and on the same area of skin.
  • Blood stains on bedsheets.
  • Faeces:these are liquid and dark in colour, then if they come into contact with impermeable materials they solidify.
  • Exuviae: when young bedbugs renew their hard, dark yellow coverings (exuviae) they leave them in nests or around rooms.

In the fight against bedbugs, the use of insecticides that act by 'ingestion/contact' is not recommended because they are not very effective and are toxic to humans.

The use of heat, on the other hand, requires a great deal of attention and the use of special equipment capable of producing very high temperatures to achieve effective heat treatment. For this reason, it is neither an easy nor a cost-effective solution.

Prevention is possible with a central vacuum system

Prevention is possible with a central vacuum system

A good solution is the vacuum cleaner Its use can eliminate some of the bed bugs by carefully vacuuming the carpet, floor, upholstered furniture, bed frame, under the bed, around the bed legs and through any cracks in the room.

Vacuuming will not be able to remove all the bedbugs, let alone their larvae and eggs (which are enveloped in an adhesive substance that makes them adhere tenaciously to the recesses where they have been laid), but, as well as significantly reducing the possible colony, it eliminates much of the debris and residues of various kinds that could hinder the action of subsequent pest control interventions.

A central vacuum system, in particular, avoids having to change the bag frequently, an obligatory action when using a traditional vacuum cleaner to prevent bed bugs from escaping.

The health blog