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Nicolas Roux de Bézieux (Pest expert)
Good news in the fight against bedbugs! According to a study conducted by the Nice University Hospital and the Mediterranean Infection University Hospital Institute (IHU) in Marseille, Sommières earth is formidable against pests. But can it be used without risk? We asked Nicolas Roux de Bézieux, expert and co-founder of Bad Bugs, the question.
Are you worried about bedbugs? Arm yourself with Sommières earth! The household product commonly sold in stores is officially very effective in eradicating the insects “in just three minutes of exposure”, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Nice University Hospital and the Mediterranean Infection University Hospital Institute (IHU) in Marseille.
A mineral effective in just 24 hours?
Generally used to remove grease stains from wood, Fuller’s earth is a mineral composed of hydrated aluminum and magnesium silicates. We now know that it can also kill bedbugs through dehydration.We tested several types of powders, such as green clay, sodium bicarbonate, talc, diatomaceous earth or Sommières earth, and the results show that the latter kills bedbugs in 24 hours”said Pascal Delaunay, a parasitologist and medical entomologist at the University Hospital of Nice. The study, conducted on two colonies of bedbugs, was published last month in the scientific journal Parasite.
“In addition to a short-term effect, since a simple three-minute exposure is enough to kill the bedbugs, we have also demonstrated a non-repellent effect, unlike chemical insecticides, and a transversal effect, meaning that a contaminated bedbug also contaminates its congeners and kills them.”the scientist said.
A good option… at the start of an infestation!
Has the miracle product been found? For Nicolas Roux de Bézieux, expert and co-founder of Bad Bug, the response on the ground is a little more mixed.It is an old remedy, effective indeed and which is used in the same way as diatomaceous earth, with the (positive) difference that Fuller’s earth is composed of larger crystals, which penetrate less deeply into the respiratory tract and do not give pulmonary fibrosis“.
It is then used in places where bedbugs pass through, without overdoing it: the frame of the box spring, the drawers under the bed, under the skirting board, the sockets, the bedside tables.
“But the title of the study is misleading: yes, in a study where all the bedbugs are gathered in a pot, it will kill them in 24 hours. In real life, it’s a little more complex.”
For the expert, the land of Sommières should rather be considered in addition to other measures”like a steam treatment, the machine of which is rented by the day” and within the first 6-8 weeks of infestation.”Sommière earth alone will not eliminate an infestation that has lasted for 6 months. But in the first few weeks, it is worth trying, it is not very expensive and it does not make the problem worse, unlike chemical insecticides, which increase the resistance of insects.
The fact remains that we are in the middle of the return from vacation period, or a few weeks after, the biggest cause of spread to date. How do you know if you have brought bedbugs home? For the expert, the goal is above all to make a diagnosis. And it is not the bites that will guide you.
“A little tip to know is that the bites can take 48 hours or even up to 12 days to appear in some people. Spots when returning from a stay do not mean that you are infested. It can easily date from the airbnb, or the hotel where you were staying.” Don’t panic in this case, wait a few days before drawing conclusions.
A self-test now allows you to make the diagnosis
Similarly, the traces are often imperceptible in the first few weeks. But then how can we become aware of the problem? For Nicolas Roux de Bézieux, it is a matter of waiting a few weeks and observing the recurrence of the bites, or using a self-test, now available to spot the intruders.As with Covid, it’s a swab that you pass over the mattress, sheets, cushions, headboard and it picks up a protein that bedbugs leave. In 5 minutes. it tells you if a bedbug has been around in the last three months. And a single test can detect up to 5 rooms.”
This can reassure you, at home or on the go. Or invite you to take action.