BED BUGS MYTHS AND FACTS: DEBUNKING COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS


 

 By Adedoja Aisha

 Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus are the most common species of the common bed bug. More commonly known as bedbugs due to their preference for mattresses and beds, bed bugs are bugs whose existence can sometimes be discovered from the telltale signs of blood and reddish-brown fecal spots they leave in their wake.



Paris has been trending in recent news not only because of the just concluded Paris Fashion Week but because of the bed bug infestation which broke out in the “city of love” with uploads on social media about sightings of bedbugs in homes, schools, movie theaters, and even on  public transport.

The bedbug infestation according to Aljazeera, has been part of the city’s history since the 1960s. The recent rise in the infestation levels might be due to the resumption of tourist activities after the COVID 19 period during which there was limited social interaction and of course, less chances of carrying the bugs around. Although the spotlight is now on France because of her increased population of bedbugs, one can find these bugs in many other countries of the world including Nigeria.

 Even though bedbugs are known for their preference for mattresses and chairs, they can also be found in crevices, furniture, clothes, and on any surface to which they can attach themselves. Although bed bugs might breed better in dirty places, contrary to popular opinion, they’re not limited to dirty places. 

It therefore would be wrong to assume that anyone who has a bedbug infestation is automatically dirty. This assumption is also wrong because of the ability of the organisms to attach themselves to surfaces and hide in the most unexpected of places and be transported over long distances.

So the next time you want to take used furniture into your house or sleep in a hotel, be sure to check twice, you never know, you might find bedbugs there. It might also  be safer to quarantine your clothes and other belongings when you get back from a trip.

It is also assumed that bed bugs plague only households with low socio economic status, this is not true. Even though it might be hard for these households to pay for exterminators, bedbugs by virtue of their ability to commute via humans from place to place can be found anywhere irrespective of social status. 

 

 Besides being transported from one place to another, bedbugs can have physical  and even psychological effects on humans. Bed bugs are like tiny vampires which feed on warm blooded hosts but have a preference for human blood  because with humans, their bites can go undetected for days. A bed bug infestation can be extremely difficult to  control; female bed bugs lay about 1-5 eggs per day and the nymphs become adult bed bugs in about 21 days. It also does not help that adult bedbugs can live up to a year  without feeding. Can bedbugs transmit communicable or communicable diseases? The answer is no.

 

Bedbugs cannot transmit diseases to humans and although for the most part bed bug bites can be harmless, the saliva from their bites can lead to allergic skin reactions in some people. A bed bug infestation in or around your house can also lead to anxiety, insomnia, constant checking for bedbugs or hypervigilance, and false alarms. So, just to be safe and to avoid transporting these unwanted visitors into your abode, try to check your belongings; new and old and even yourself before you go into your home because you never know, they might be hitching a free ride on you. If you do get an infestation, call an exterminator if you can.

 

The most effective methods for removing bedbugs include using insecticides, a vacuum cleaner if you have one, using hot air from a blow dryer, hot water or sun drying to treat infested clothing and mattresses, and freezing small items or clothing for several days. So the next time you encounter these blood-sucking creatures, know that there’s no need to panic, it does not mean that the infested house owner or carrier is a dirty person, does not discriminate between the rich and poor, and most importantly can be fully exterminated.

 

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