Bedbugs Introduced parasites once again cause a health threat

Bloodsucking bed bugs back in Germany

Only a few years ago, experts assumed that the blood-sucking bed bugs in Germany are virtually eradicated. But in recent years, the reported cases are piling up. Some pest controllers speak of a real flood. Travelers often bring their bedbugs from Asia or Eastern Europe home without even realizing it. The parasites then multiply rapidly. Lydia Böhm from the German Association of Pest Control reports that bed-bug missions nationwide are showing an alarmingly rising trend. Many people would not know bed bugs. Only with symptoms they become attentive.

According to the industry association, in Berlin the exterminators are currently moving to about 16 operations per week for bed bugs in apartments and hotel rooms. This represents a new peak in the capital and means just a quadrupling of the numbers. As the name suggests, the small creepy-crawlies preferably nest in beds, where they hide during the day and become active at night for bloodsucking. The red-brown bed bugs are usually about half a centimeter long, but can swell significantly in the soaked state.

Bedbugs seem to prefer certain colors. (Image: freshidea / fotolia.com)

In a prick but the bedbugs saliva in the wound from, which usually leads to significant skin irritation in the area of ​​the injection sites. At first glance, the barbed bites in series often appear as an itchy rash. The itching usually lasts for several days. In case of a sensitive reaction to the saliva, larger inflammations of the skin may develop.

Bedbugs as a holiday souvenir

According to the pest controllers, bed bugs feel well wherever they find a warm place to sleep with blood to suck. This could also affect luxury hotels and villas. "We even had them on a luxury cruise ship the other day," reports Lydia Böhm. Often, the eggs of the bugs would be introduced unnoticed under shoe soles or on suitcases sticking. In this way, many travelers bring them also from abroad. According to this, bedbugs are often a problem for the "beautiful and the rich because they travel so much", according to the board of the pest control association in Berlin, Mario Heising.

According to the industry experts, exterminators are also increasingly receiving phone calls from travelers who have been confronted with bed bugs and do not want to bring them home. In such cases, the suitcases of the victims would be picked up at the airport and then deep-frozen, as the animals die off at temperatures below minus 18 degrees Celsius. The travelers themselves are recommended to put on fresh clothes.

Not only on the return of foreign travel can bed bugs as unwelcome souvenirs arrive in the apartment, but not infrequently, the parasites are also brought with used furniture or antiques in their own four walls, reports the Federal Association of pest controllers.

Ignorance and shame favor spread of bed bugs

Commenting on the spread of bed bugs in Germany, Karolina Bauer-Dubau, a biologist at the Berlin Tropical Institute, told dpa that she had received 32 requests for bed bugs in 2000, while in 2013 the number had risen to 251. However, official statistics on the distribution of bedbugs do not exist, as there is no obligation to report the occurrence of parasites.

The rebirth of bedbugs is, in the opinion of the expert, a problem of ignorance on the one hand, and shame on the other.

Bedbugs are often associated with the idea of ​​poor hygiene, which today is completely unfounded. As a result, many sufferers still wait too long before seeking professional help even after the culprit has been identified. "Often it is several weeks. Since the next generation hatched, "said the biologist. Although there is so far no proof in Germany for diseases that are transmitted by bed bugs, but it is known from South America that this is quite possible (for example, transmission of Q fever by bed bugs). Theoretically, a hepatitis B infection can be transmitted through the faeces of the animals, if this gets into the puncture sites, so Bauer-Dubau on.

Bedbugs seem to prefer certain colors. (Image: freshidea / fotolia.com)

If bedbugs are suspected, contact a pest controller

If there are itchy pustules and wheals on the skin after getting up in the morning, this may be an indication of bed bugs. However, the tiny creepy-crawlies are barely detectable during the day, as they hide in bed-trunks, mattresses, columns or behind pictures and wallpaper. If bedbugs are suspected, an intensive search for the parasites is worthwhile.

With flashlight and magnifying glass, the animals can be detected, provided you know where to look. Furthermore, if there is evidence of parasites, it is advisable to consult a professional pest control agent in a timely manner in order to prevent further spread of bed bugs. (sb, fp)