Bedbugs, sometimes called the vampires of the insect world, hide during the day and emerge at night to feed on human blood. Infestations are on the rise, especially at this time of year when they tend to be more severe, according to experts.
Christopher Hayes, an assistant professor at North Carolina State University who has been bitten by bedbugs more than 50 times during his research, noted that "they are definitely out there" and that it is easy to bring them home without realising it. The insects are reddish-brown in colour, the size of an apple seed, and can hide in narrow crevices in furniture, clothing, sheets and mattresses.
The bites do not hurt, but some people develop red, itchy bumps the following day, while others have no reaction. This represents a problem because people who do not realise they are being bitten repeatedly can quickly become victims of an infestation.
To date, there is no clear evidence that bedbugs transmit diseases from one person to another. However, researchers from the University of South Dakota published in 2023 the results of an experiment that demonstrated that bedbugs could acquire MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant infection, during a blood meal and spread it in a later one. José Pietri, one of the authors of the study who now works at Purdue University, noted that more research is needed, but that this "changes the perspective of what bedbugs do in terms of public health".
Experts recommend never bringing bedbugs into your home in the first place. Travellers can acquire them in hotel rooms, so before unpacking it is advisable to check the room by stripping back the blankets and sheets to look for insects or faecal marks. Do not place luggage on beds or near them; it is better to put it in a clear plastic bin bag or even in the bath tub. When you arrive home, open your luggage outside and take clothes directly to the washing machine and dryer.
Bedbugs can also enter homes through second-hand furniture or other items. Hayes advises visually inspecting these items before bringing them into the home. Some experts recommend vacuuming, applying steam or heating furniture, and putting it in quarantine in a garage or storage area for a few days before bringing it inside. For clothing, wash it and put it in the dryer for an hour. For shoes or other items, Hayes suggests freezing them for a week "to make sure that anything that might be alive is eliminated".