Bed bugs, which almost disappeared in South Korea after the 1970s but have been sporadically spotted since the late 2000s, are showing a global increase in numbers following the COVID-19 pandemic. People primarily find them in multi-use facilities such as boarding houses, saunas, and motels. Experts fear it’s only a matter of time before these pests spread nationwide in South Korea.
Bed Bugs: Suck up to 10 Times More Blood than Mosquitoes
Bed bugs, nocturnal insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, including humans, are most active at night. They can suck up to 10 times more blood than mosquitoes, and simultaneous bites from numerous bed bugs can cause a fever. They can bite a person over 500 times in one night, and the bites often appear in groups of 2-3, forming a circular or linear pattern. The bites are similar to mosquito bites and cause itching and pain.
Tenacious Survival Instinct
Bed bugs, which can lay 100-250 eggs, have existed on Earth for over 100 million years, demonstrating their tenacious survival instinct. They’re difficult to eliminate completely, and once they infest a location, they spread indiscriminately among people and places. In some European countries, the bed bug infestation has reached a level called a public health crisis. This is a humiliating situation for developed countries. These cities have intensified their pest control efforts, even deploying detection dogs to eradicate bed bugs.
If Bed Bugs Bite You
If bitten by a bed bug, red or white swollen marks, blisters, and pimple-like bumps often appear on the skin. The bite marks often form groups or lines because the bed bug moves a little while searching for a blood vessel to feed on. To prevent secondary infection, you should avoid scratching the bites. If the itching is severe, you should visit a hospital to receive prescribed oral antihistamines or apply a steroid ointment.
Rising Mental Anxiety
Treating the physical wounds from bed bug bites may offer relief, but the real challenge lies in the increasing mental anxiety they can cause. Individuals who have experienced bed bug bites often worry about the potential for further bites and whether they can effectively eliminate the pests. This heightened concern can result in sleepless nights and persistent anxiety. Even deciding to travel and change sleeping locations can be difficult due to fear of bed bugs.
Common Sight During Foreign Travel
Bed bugs are well-known as ‘bedbugs’ in European travel communities. When traveling abroad, many people suffer from bed bug infestations due to staying in cheap accommodations with poor hygiene conditions or due to other travelers who unknowingly carry bed bug eggs. When traveling abroad, experts recommend thoroughly checking the corners of the bed, and if you find feces marks or bloodstains on the sheets, it may indicate a bed bug infestation. To prevent bed bugs from attaching to your luggage, keeping your suitcase off the floor and on a stand is best.
Eradicate Bed Bugs Immediately Upon Detection
Bed bugs live longer as adults than as larvae. They can live for 6-8 weeks as larvae and 12-18 months as adults, and adults thrive at typical household temperatures of 64-68°F. Once they hatch and become adults, they often inhabit a house for 2-3 years. Therefore, if you don’t eliminate them in time, you may suffer from their infestation for a long time.
Bed Bugs Dislike Light
If you find bed bugs in your accommodation, changing rooms immediately is best. Bed bugs intensely dislike bright light, so you can easily check for their presence by shining a flashlight while the lights are off. Bed bugs will likely be in places with the slightest disturbance and cracks. If you see black spots on the bed, you can suspect the presence of eggs.
Traveling on Clothes or Items
Bed bugs can travel on people’s clothes or items. What should you do if you unknowingly bring bed bugs into your accommodation or home? If you suspect exposure to bed bugs, experts recommend sealing the clothes you wore during the trip in a plastic bag for at least a week.
Vulnerable to High Temperatures
Since bed bugs dislike heat, running clothes or bedding that bed bugs may have crawled on in a hot dryer for about 30 minutes can help. The dryer’s heat can kill the heat-sensitive bed bugs and larvae.
If you have a steam cleaner, set the steam temperature to at least 50℃ (122°F) and thoroughly clean the walls where the bed is placed, between the bed fabric, carpets, and furniture.
Report to the Health Center
If you discover bed bugs, report them to your local health center. Regarding pests, their management depends on specific criteria in South Korea. If pests disrupt the ecosystem, the National Institute of Biological Resources manages them under the Ministry of Environment. If they transmit infectious diseases, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency manages them. For foreign species not found in Korea, the National Institute of Ecology manages them. However, bed bugs do not meet any of these conditions, so these agencies do not actively manage them. Therefore, pest control is carried out whenever they appear. Experts say that with a little more thorough hygiene, it is possible to significantly reduce the possibility of a major bed bug outbreak, considering that bed bugs are often referred to as pests of underdeveloped countries.
By. Jeon Shin Young
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