Getting rid of the bed bug curse

By MiNDFOOD

Bed sheet mattress Duvet and pillows unmade
Bed sheet mattress Duvet and pillows unmade

Got a problem with bed bugs? Well it could be that you are using the wrong colour bed linen.

According to research published in the Journal of Medical Entomology the blood sucking insects love black and red but not yellow or green and the bugs colour preference could be used in the battle against them.

Bed bugs – the source of that well known childhood rhyme – are tiny and often live as close as possible to humans such as in the seam of your mattress or a joint in your bed frame.

US researcher Dr Corraine McNeill and colleagues wanted to find out if colours affected where bed bugs might dwell so in their lab they placed bed bugs in dishes with different colour shelters made out of card.

The bugs appeared to select the shelters according to their colour, showing a preference for black and red.

Dr McNeill said: “We originally thought the bed bugs might prefer red because blood is red and that’s what they feed on.

“However, after doing the study, the main reason we think they preferred red colours is because bed bug themselves appear red, so they go to these harborages because they want to be with other bed bugs.”

The bugs appeared to dislike yellow and green shelters.

McNeill said that might be because it reminded them of less safe areas.

“I don’t know how far I would go to say don’t get a red suitcase or red sheets, but the research hasn’t been done yet, so we can’t really rule that out completely.”

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