Bedbug advice amid "global resurgence"

Wednesday 18 October 2023

The surge in cases of bedbugs in France has led to Guernsey's Public Health issuing advice on how to protect ourselves against the little critters.

The insects have been found in both private and public spaces such as cinemas, trains and schools as well as hotel beds in France and elsewhere.

French media have reported on the outbreak calling it a national outbreak and in one case a "global resurgence". 

The insects often live on furniture and in bedding, hence the name, but not always with other soft fabrics being susceptible including wallpaper.

Public Health Guernsey warns bedbug bites can be itchy, but they don't usually cause other health problems. Some people may have a reaction to the bites, and there may be painful swelling but a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) is rare.

On white skin, bedbug bites usually look red while on black or brown skin they may look purple. 

The bites usually clear up on their own in a week or so, and can be managed by putting something cool, like a clean, damp cloth, on the affected area while mild steroid creams may be useful too.

Pictured: Public Health Guernsey has issued advice on what to do about bedbugs.

Public Health warns it is very difficult to get rid of bedbugs because they can be resistant to some insecticides. 

If you think you have bedbugs, you can contact the Office of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation on envhealth@gov.gg or 221161, or a professional pest control service.

The Office of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation does not offer a pest control service for bed bugs but they can offer advice and assist with identification.

Signs of bedbugs include:

• bites – often on skin exposed while sleeping, like the face, neck and arms
• spots of blood on your bedding – from the bites or from squashing a bedbug
• small brown spots on bedding or furniture (bedbug droppings)