When traveling, at the hotel, at the office, at the cinema… Bedbugs can nestle anywhere. Here are the recommendations of our expert entomologist to reduce the risk of infestation.
Travel, travel and hotel stays contribute to the proliferation of bedbugs. In the same way, second-hand furniture or clothing are possible outbreaks which can colonize your home. If there is no miracle solution, there are still preventive actions to know for limit the risk of bringing bedbugs home. Know that bedbugs are visible to the naked eye and are generally brunettes. They are the size ofan apple seed, do not jump or fly. Their favorite space is bedroomparticularly in dark places (around and under the mattress). So to reduce the risk of infestation:
► Avoid accumulating objects in your living space. This reduces the number of places where bedbugs can hide.
► If you buy second-hand furniture (box springs, armchairs, etc.) in the street or at a flea market, examine it and clean it thoroughly before installing it in your home and, if possible, treat it with hot steam (you can rent it). Avoid buying a used mattress.
► If you buy second-hand clotheswash them at more than 60°C or place them in the dryer on the hottest cycle for at least 30 minutes or freeze them for 72 hours. Bed bugs don’t like high or low temperatures.
► If you are moving into a new apartment, check the rooms (nooks, areas of loose paper, etc.) before placing your furniture there.
► You can equip your mattresses, box springs and pillows with bedbug-proof covers to provide an additional barrier of protection against bedbugs.
► Do not place your luggage on the floor or on the bed, and even less under the bed: store it on a previously inspected luggage rack and leave it closed when not in use.
► Do not put your clothes on the bed or in the wardrobes before having examined them scrupulously.
► Inspect the bed carefully: the mattress, the zippers, the stitching, the tufting of the upholstery, behind and around the headboard.
► Check furniture and walls: furniture frames and upholstery, using an object with a hard corner such as a credit card.
► When traveling, be vigilant. Make sure there are no bedbugs in your luggage and do not place them on or near beds or armchairs.
► Take out clothes and examine your personal belongings when returning from a trip
► Wash all clothing and fabric items in the suitcase in hot water (at 60°), whether they have been worn or not
► Heat non-washable fabric items in the dryer at the highest temperature possible for 30 minutes
► Vacuum the suitcases. Immediately throw away the vacuum cleaner bag in a tightly closed plastic bag.
Thanks to Jean-Michel Bérenger, entomologist at the Laboratory for biological diagnosis of infectious diseases and hygiene at the Pays d’Aix Hospital Center / Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion.