According to multiple sources, South Korean officials said on November 8th that about 30 suspected cases of bed bugs have been reported nationwide, including at a traditional public bathhouse (jjimjilbang) in Incheon, western Seoul, and a university dormitory in the southeastern city of Daegu.
Previously, this small, flat-shaped insect also caused panic in France. In England, more and more people are searching for information about bed bugs.
Bed bugs are tiny insects, averaging only about 5mm in size, equivalent to the size of an apple seed.
Their high reproductive capacity allows them to multiply at a fast rate. The blood of humans and animals is their main food source. The bodies of bed bugs change from brown to red when they are full with blood.
Where can bed bugs be found?
They have the ability to hide in small crevices and move quickly to many places, so they can often live for months without being detected.
Bed bugs can easily be found in almost any areas around your home, offices, hotels, or clothing stores. They can cling to the clothes of customers and silently follow them home. Even personal items such as handbags and backpacks can contain bed bug infestations, spreading from one person to another or from one room to another.
A moist environment is conducive to the survival of bed bugs, and they can reach their maximum growth rate in about a month on average. (Illustrative photo)
Root-cause elimination of bed bugs
The small size and ability to hide make it difficult to eliminate bed bugs. However, if bed bugs are not eliminated, we can indirectly increase their number and range of activities.
Therefore, you should try to apply measures to eliminate bed bugs at the root. And of course, thorough cleaning is always the key to eradicating insects, and bed bugs are no exception. Here are everything you need to do and should do:
– Regularly wash and clean the mattress, sheets, blankets, pillows on a regular basis to eliminate bed bugs.
+ Vacuum the bed, pillows, blankets, and surrounding environments every week to prevent the hatching of bed bugs. The use of a vacuum cleaner yields better results, but be sure to clean the vacuum cleaner after use.
+ Dry the items after washing with a dryer or directly under the sunlight, as a low humidity environment is conducive for bed bugs to grow and develop.
+ Pay attention to the areas or items placed around the mattress, such as clothes and curtains, which also need to be thoroughly cleaned.
+ Always remember to clean the cracks or small crevices, the area under the bed, and even the electrical outlets.
– If you suspect or discover bed bugs, you can use a steam iron at high temperatures to kill bed bugs at the root. Bed bugs and their larvae are usually destroyed at temperatures around 60°C.
– Use baking soda to eliminate bed bugs at the root.
+ Use baking soda to sprinkle around the bed, walls, windows, or any suspected areas where bed bugs may be living. Then use a broom or vacuum cleaner to clean up this amount of baking soda on a weekly basis. Repeat this process multiple times.
– Use essential oils to eliminate bed bugs.
+ Mix pure essential oils with cold water and then spray evenly throughout the room as the simplest method. The advantage of this method is that it can help users relax besides its function of killing bed bugs.
Always remember to keep all nooks and crannies in the house clean. (Illustrative photo)
Preventing bed bugs
– Bedding and clothes must be washed in hot water at about 50°C;
– Dry clothes after washing;
– For some items that cannot be washed, you should wrap them in a transparent plastic bag and leave them outdoors, where the temperature can reach 50°C;
– Use origin-guaranteed bed bug pesticides to kill them;
– Vacuuming the house is also a way to remove eggs and bed bugs, but not completely. Therefore, you should diligently clean the house to remove at the root the places where bed bugs can hide and reproduce.
According to Phụ nữ Việt Nam