[00:00:04] Speaker A: Hello and welcome to a Wonder Care podcast. I'm Sheena Mitchell, a pharmacist and mum of three. I combine healthcare and practical advice to support you on your parenting journey. A week or two ago, I put up a poll on my Instagram at Wondercare underscore IRL to see if you wanted an information episode on bugs. It's no surprise to me that it was a big yes, please. And as someone who has signed up for the Paris Marathon 2024, I share your concerns. [00:00:33] Speaker B: France is to dispatch sniffer dogs to inspect trains and the Paris metro for bed bugs. After dozens of reports of infestations, the move comes as the government went on the offensive to reassure the public its transport minister is maintaining that there is no clear evidence of an outbreak. [00:00:51] Speaker C: Over the last few days, there's been a lot of coverage about bedbugs here in Paris. Those little insects that come out at night and feed on human blood, often causing skin irritation or a skin rash, but no major medical problems, and they do not carry diseases. But there's certainly been an increase in sightings. Some people have seen some of the bugs on intercity trains, on subway trains, in cinemas and in apartments. And there's also been an upsurge in the number of bedbug disinfection call outs, deep cleaning firms saying that they've seen a 65% increase in callouts this summer compared to last summer. [00:01:26] Speaker A: There are certain topics that just make me itchy. Headlice is one of them, scabies is one of them, and bedbugs is definitely one of them. Bedbugs actually have a lot of similarities to headlice, in a way, in that they are dependent on having a human host and they can't fly. They just crawl around and are very good at crawling. The only good thing about headlice, and I never thought I'd say this, is that they do exactly what they say. They stay on your head. Bedbugs, however, have not got the memo. They can be found in your bed, but they can also hide in furniture and furnishings. Everything from your bed frames to your headboard crevices, your skirting boards, your mattress, seams, your carpets and your underlay, between timber floorboards, in cracked or broken plaster, behind peeling wallpaper, even inside electrical sockets and fittings in drawers, cupboards, wardrobes, bed cabinets and in suitcases. In fact, because of their ability to be transported so easily in luggage, clothing and furniture, they make great little travelers. And they can spread quickly from room to room, from your bag to your seat on the train, to someone's coat, to someone's carpet, then to someone's bed, and even through the floorboards into your neighbor's houses. These guys are a little pesky nightmare. So what do they look like? Bedbugs are around four to 5 mm long, which is about the size of an apple seed. They're small, flat, parasitic insects. They're usually oval in shape. They have six thick legs, they have wing pads, but no wings. As far as I'm aware, they're red to brown in color. They have a beak that has three segments and a set of antennas with four parts. God, I'm struggling with this. One of the big things to be aware of is that bedbugs are found all over the world. And while the problem has traditionally been one that happens in developing countries over the last decade or two, it's been spreading rapidly in North America and Europe. I will say that there is a question over the current bedbug hype. It's not clear and it's hard to determine if the outbreaks are actually dramatically increased. Or is it a case that it was Fashion Week in Paris when they were first identified and this whole media hype started? Maybe it got a lot of people looking for them, I don't know. Either way, I do know that a 65% increase in pest control callouts must account for something. There is a thought that potentially the post pandemic travel return has led to a more easy pathway for the parasites to become so widespread. Another really important thing to emphasize is the same as with head lice. They do not care if you have a clean house or a dirty house. This is not a hygiene issue. If you are human, no matter if you're fresh out of the bath and smelling like Tom Ford, they're still going to like you. So it's not a case that this is something people staying in hostels have to worry about and not those who are staying in five star hotels. These bugs are non discriminatory, although there is a thought that potentially establishments and people who have infestations in their home, who have less of a budget to get the pests under control will end up having more severe infestations purely because they can't afford to have the pest control company come out and deal with them. So I'm going to give you some advice on what you can do. First of all to identify them and then to prevent them and of course, what to do if you actually find them. [00:05:35] Speaker D: I am delighted to partner with one of my all time favorite products, Salon Plus. This is the world's 1st 100% natural. [00:05:42] Speaker A: Dry salt therapy device. [00:05:44] Speaker D: It's clinically proven to relieve a wide variety of allergens and respiratory conditions. This salt therapy method has been trusted for generations and has become hugely popular worldwide. As more and more people recognize the superb results achieved from a natural and noninvasive method. This device will help you breathe easier and sleep better. [00:06:07] Speaker A: Bedbugs leave clues behind them. You can tell that you've bedbugs by a finding the actual bugs. You'll usually find them hiding in creases or in folds on the mattress or down behind the headboard. They'll hide during the day and they like to come out when you're asleep and when the bed is warm and they can smell your carbon dioxide that you're breathing out. They find all of that lovely. So that is when they come out. And actually this is a little bit sinister. You can't even tell when you've been bitten because these little bugs are clever enough to inject you with a tiny amount of anesthetic so that you don't feel the bite. And in fact, it could be a few days later when you're looking at the red mark on your arm or neck going, where did that come from? But I'll tell you more about the bites in a minute. Other ways you can figure out if you've bedbugs is by looking for little dark or black stains on your mattresses and the surrounding area. This results from bedbug poop. Basically, you also might get a smell. It's been described as an unpleasant almond smell, basically a sweet, sickly scent. They also molt, so you might find their old shells in your bed you'll think you've found alive when they were like, oh no, it's dead, it's fine. No, it's not dead, it's just molted on your bed, which is still growth. Anyway, I will maintain my professionalism the bites. Well, good news on the bites, really. Bedbooks don't generally carry disease. So what happens is you'll get a bite, you won't feel it because of the anesthetic they administer. They'll drink your blood like little vampire bugs. And then maybe the next day or the day after, you might feel some itching or irritation. These bites can look like mosquito bites or the bite of any other insect, so it can be hard to figure out what's causing it. Generally, bedbugs will bite you on your neck, hands, arms and legs. So think about the areas that are exposed when you're lying in bed. Realistically, these bites cause most people no major reaction, but in rare cases you can get minor swelling and itching. And if a rash develops, you may require treatment for allergy. So do jump into your local pharmacy or GP to treat minor Bedbook bites. It's a good idea to apply a little bit of antiseptic cream or lotion and try and avoid scratching the area. And taking an antihistamine can really help with this. Some tips on preventing bedbugs one of the main causes of bedbug infestation is from travel. Hotels and airbnbs, et cetera are commonplaces for bedbugs to live because they have so much human traffic going through them. Public transport is another risk area and a bit of a hotspot for bedbugs. Often people buy antique furniture or secondhand furniture. This is good for our environment and a lot of the older furniture is really cool. So I'm not suggesting you don't buy antique or secondhand furniture, but do disinfect it and do have a good look at it to make sure that it's not infested before you bring it into your house. If you're traveling, there's a few things that you can do. The first one is store your luggage away from the bed and away from carpet. If the room is carpeted, I've read. A lot of people online are keeping their luggage in the bathtub, in the bathroom, and that's certainly not a bad idea. But even just keeping your suitcase in the bathroom where it's tiled so that you can actually use the bath, that's adequate, so long as there's no material in the area. When you arrive into a hotel or any accommodation that isn't your own, do inspect the bed when you arrive. So pull back the sheets, have a look at the mattress and the seams of the mattress and have a look for any little signs of bedbugs, such as those dark little spots or living or dead books. Preventing bedbugs at home can be really helped by taking those measures. So by being careful in public transport, by keeping an eye out when you visit or travel to hotels, and that you store your luggage separately when you're staying in a hotel. And actually, that goes for your clothes. So hang your clothes up in the wardrobe rather than leaving them down on shelves. And when you get home, wash all of your clothes just in case any bugs have hitched a lift home with you. After you've washed them, tumble dry them at a high heat for 20 minutes, then wash them again and then dry them again. That should get rid of any bugs that are on your clothes when you return from travel. Another good idea is to use your vacuum to hoover up any bugs that you see around the bedroom area or on the mattresses. And then make sure and empty the Hoover in a sealed bag far, far away. I don't mean that. Don't throw them over your neighbor's hedge, just pop them into your wheelie bin. If you think you have a mattress that's heavily infested, you're going to have to think about getting rid of it and getting a new one. That is not easy. So a lot of people would recommend using plastic mattress covers that cover the whole mattress and this stops bedbugs from getting in and infesting your mattress. How do we treat them? Well, other than chucking out your mattress, hoovering your whole house, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, yeah. There's not a lot you can do realistically. You're going to have to call in pest control, so this can be expensive and this can be a barrier in resolving bedbug infestations. So it isn't great news, but it is important to do it as early as you identify an issue in your household. The earlier you identify an infestation, the less likely it is to be severe and the easier and therefore cheaper it'll be to get rid of the problem. There are lots of different companies and I know that some of them are listed on the HSE's website. You can just basically search the details of your environmental health officer and they'll be able to give you guidance. Do try and get rid of any clutter. Make sure and keep your bedroom free from clothes on the floor and rubbish and things lying around. Have it as clutter free as you can. I'm not going to lie, when I started researching for this podcast, I ordered a skip. Yeah, literally, I'm dumping so many things just to try and make sure that I have room to have an uncluttered bedroom, because these guys give me the heebie. GB's so when you're trying to choose your pest control company, there's a few things to look out for. So they should be giving you lots of information on how they're actually going to get rid of the infestation. So they have heat services, dry heat, steam heat, they have cold treatments and I think they have insecticides as well. But again, if the bugs are resistant to them, that's something to discuss thoroughly with your pest control company. They'll have a big survey and have a look around and ask them for a really, really clear quote, because you want to know exactly what areas and rooms are going to be treated, how many visits it's going to take and what happens after if they don't manage to get it under control. You want to spend your money wisely. Hopefully it won't come to that. But because of recent rugby matches and travel to Paris, and because a lot of people like to hop over and back to London, where they are now also reporting issues, it's just good to be aware of these things. It's good to be prepared and it's good to know what you're up against. So stay safe. Don't let the bedbugs buy it. Sorry, I couldn't help myself. If you enjoy listening, I'd be really grateful if you could follow or subscribe. [00:13:51] Speaker D: And leave a review. [00:13:53] Speaker A: It really helps to support the show. Thank you.