At first glance, bed bugs don’t seem like ideal candidates for dominating the planet. They cannot fly, jump or swim. Instead, they can survive just by feeding on blood. These arthropod family parasites are experiencing what scientists call rapid global expansion, conquering new territories and growing in number and type. According to a recent study, its great ability to conquer ground is possible, in part, thanks to an unusual transport system: dirty clothes.
Bed bugs are attracted to the scent of humans, including that of their used clothing. Although they are not believed capable of transmitting disease, these insects, called by their scientific name as Cimex lectularius, can leave behind small bites, which can be responsible for allergic reactions.
Although pests had been largely eradicated from large parts of the developed world by the mid-20th century, pesticide bans in the 1990s, along with cheap air travel , have allowed the insects to return.
Unlike ticks or lice, bed bugs are not travelers: they sometimes leave beds and couches where they feed . So how are they able to get to airplanes?
The simplest and most probable explanation for scientists seems the transfer in the clothes of the passengers. “This led me to question why they are so drawn to human clothing and scent,” explains William Hentley, an entomologist at the University of Sheffield and lead author of the study.
To test the hypothesis that these insects were indeed hitchhiking through dirty clothes and luggage , Hentley and his team studied the level of attraction of bed bugs to dirty clothes odors. They placed a box full of chicnches in the middle of a room and placed two other cotton bags at equal distances from the insects; One of them contained clean clothing, and the other contained used clothing such as dirty socks and T-shirts collected from volunteers. The insects were released throughout the room for 96 hours.
At the end of the experiment, twice as many insects invaded the dirty clothes as those who went to the unused clothes , as explained in a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports . The results are consistent with previous studies that showed that bed bugs can smell more than 100 components from human skin , many of which easily get embedded in everyday clothing, as described by experts.
The scientists also checked whether increases in carbon dioxide, which are a sign of a potential nearby power source, made bed bugs more predisposed to go to find dirty, smelly clothes. When this gas was added to the room, it appeared to increase the insects’ tendency to move, but it did not make them more attracted to dirty laundry than they were initially.
What can we do to keep parasites away?
To prevent these six-legged parasites from invading our luggage when we travel, the researchers recommend something very simple: place suitcases up high, since bed bugs cannot jump or climb. If there is no possibility of putting them up, it is recommended to keep the used clothes in an airtight bag , which should help to mask the odor.
But the most important thing is to keep luggage off the beds . Another option, according to the researchers, is to place the laundry bag next to the high heat. “Heat is the Achilles heel of bed bugs,” they say.
