this post was submitted on 28 Nov 2023
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The French have lost their minds over bed bugs (bigthink.com)
submitted 11 months ago by Sagan@eslemmy.es to c/europe@feddit.de
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[โ€“] No_Ones_Slick_Like_Gaston@lemmy.world 80 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

First paragraph of the article :

In October, many people in France became convinced their country was infested with bed bugs.
They saw the parasites everywhere, called exterminators in droves, and called for government action. But it appears that public panic far outstripped the bugs' actual prevalence.

While their population may have slightly increased over last year, there was no drastic spike in numbers.
The instance appears to be a textbook case of a media-fueled social panic, where a group of people reacts negatively and in an extreme or irrational manner to a situation.

[โ€“] tacosanonymous@lemm.ee 43 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I completely understand. They are relentless and frightening.

[โ€“] plistig@feddit.de 61 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The French?

[โ€“] gaael@lemmy.world 19 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yes we are !

[โ€“] nitefox@sh.itjust.works 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

โ€œWhat is that, more Americans?โ€ -โ€œworse.โ€

[โ€“] zepheriths@lemmy.world 29 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The are concerned because a little event is happening next year. I don't know if you have heard of it it's pretty obscure, the 2024 summer Olympics.

[โ€“] Sagan@eslemmy.es 14 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Based on the detrimental effects of the games on daily lives of Parisians, I suspect some of them could release some bedbugs in the Olympic village

[โ€“] wieson@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Les Parisiens ont le cafard. I'm just proud I could make this pun.

[โ€“] frostbiker@lemmy.ca 21 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (5 children)

Diatomaceous earth kills the little bastards and it is non-hazardous to humans, as long as you don't snort the stuff.

Apparently for them is like walking on broken glass and they bleed do death, so to speak.

My sister had an infestation long ago and it was very effective. You can find the stuff online easily.

[โ€“] youRFate@feddit.de 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

My hair wax has diatomaceous earth in it, does that somehow make me immune to some bugs? :D

[โ€“] agent_flounder@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago

No lice for you!

[โ€“] Ziggurat@sh.itjust.works 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Diatomaceous earth kills the little bastards and it is non-hazardous to humans, as long as you donโ€™t snort the stuff.

Fun fact, it's even used as an additive for food. If you wonder why shredded cheese doesn't stick ? The famous E551 is that product.

I used it when dealing with a roaches invasion. I don't how well it worked (can't be worse than regular bugspray, these bastard get sprayed and laugh at you), but it's definitely cool to know that I can use that near food without being worried

[โ€“] stankmut@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

Bug spray is interesting. Often times it'll work, but it won't immediately knock them down. They'll crawl away laughing and then die behind the couch. I would like a little more stopping power though.

[โ€“] Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social 5 points 11 months ago

Works great on all kinds of infestations, too. I had wasps in my siding that were getting in my house and stinging me in my sleep. Doused them with DE and they haven't come back.

[โ€“] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I would rather call a professional to deal with the situation.

[โ€“] frostbiker@lemmy.ca 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

You do you. A professional will ask you to move all your furniture, spray insecticide everywhere, come back two weeks later to repeat the same process again to kill the newly hatched eggs, and tell you that it is quite likely that the bugs will come back, so further rounds may be needed.

Diatomaceous earth pops up on every discussion because it works. Bugs gone in a couple of days, because D.E. sticks around to kill any larvae that hatch over the following weeks.

[โ€“] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Here professionals use that earth. But they also do checks on where the bugs have spread, assess whether other apartments need to be checked, educate inhabitants on the situatuon and stuff like that.

People trying to do shit on their own often just means they'll do a poor job and rather spread the bugs or half-ass it and you'll get the same situation again. You do you is all fine and good but I have very little trust in your ability to deal with the situation properly. No offense. That's why it's better to let professionals deal with it.

bugs are gone in a couple of days

L-O-L.

[โ€“] frostbiker@lemmy.ca 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Bugs gone in two days represents the experience of the only two independent instances where people I know had to deal with bedbugs. Your experience may be different and I respect that.

In both instances the professionals wanted to spray insecticide as I described, too.

No offense

L-O-L

โ˜ฎ๏ธโœŒ๏ธ

[โ€“] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 0 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Gone in two days is really unrealistic scenario for dealing with bedbugs. They're much, much, much more resilient than that. They can go months without eating.

It's not really a difference of opinion that it's unrealistic to believe to be done with them in days. It's just not gonna happen. Bedbugs are resilient as all fuck and it'll take quite some time to know if you're done with them or if some managed to survive. It might be two months and you'll find one bugger has appeared in a bedbug cup. They're insanely annoying shits.

[โ€“] pewgar_seemsimandroid@lemmy.blahaj.zone -2 points 11 months ago

let the Brits shank em