<h3><span class="strongInContent">Osaka and Tokyo receive the most consultations, followed by Kanagawa Prefecture&#8230; &#8220;In the past, we used to get about two cases a year, but now we get about 100 cases a month if we get too many,&#8221; he says.</span><span class="strongInContent"> It used to be about two cases a year, but now it&#8217;s more like 100 cases a month.</span></h3>
<p> The number of cases of people being bitten in their sleep and having their blood sucked and itching is increasing. The culprit is bed bugs, which may have been brought into Japan by the increasing number of foreign visitors. What precautions should we take against these bed bugs that lurk around us?</p>
<p> The Japan Pest Control Association (JPCA), a public interest incorporated foundation, urges caution, saying, &#8220;Consultations about bed bugs are increasing. They are a type of bedbug that bites people while they are sleeping and moves away from them when they are moving,&#8221; says a representative of the association. They also dislike brightly lit places.</p>
<p> During and after World War II, they were called &#8220;bedbugs,&#8221; and there was a time when the insecticide DDT was poured over people&#8217;s heads to get rid of them. After that, sanitary conditions improved, and the bugs were almost completely eliminated from the country. However, around 2008, the disease spread to the U.S. and entered Japan. A person in charge of the association said, &#8220;At first, it was prevalent in hotels.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> At first, it became popular in hotels. It is believed that visitors to Japan brought it to Japan, and it spread to their guests and employees.</span></p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<p> Hidehiko Mukai, president of Taiyo Anti-Pest Laboratory (Yao City, Osaka Prefecture), a pest control company, says that consultations on bed bug extermination are increasing: &#8220;We used to receive about two cases a year, but now we receive about 100 cases a month at most. He says, &#8220;We used to get about two cases a year, but now we get about 100 cases a month if we get a lot of consultations.</p>
<figure id="attachment_348540" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348540" style="width: 1823px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b0c40b4c"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/e505a1946eb7cd38c232adc5cda15da7.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348540" class="wp-caption-text"> Super whitefly,&#8221; which became popular in the U.S. around 1920 and was introduced to Japan.</figcaption></figure>
<h3><span class="strongInContent"> The only way to prevent them is&#8230; &#8220;to see and be sure!</span></h3>
<p> Overseas, it is reported that bed bugs have become a social problem in France, South Korea, and other countries. With the increase in the number of foreigners visiting Japan, there is a possibility that bed bugs are being brought into Japan on people, bags, and other items. The only way to know for sure is to see them with your own eyes, but it is necessary to understand the ecology of bed bugs in order to know what to look out for.</p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<p> According to the association&#8217;s staff, bed bugs are only a few millimeters in size and feed by sucking the blood of humans and other animals. However, they can survive for months without sucking blood. They lay about 300 eggs in their lifetime and produce 2 to 5 eggs every day. They can lurk near people, build nests, and can even get mixed up in luggage and other items.</p>
<p> Recently, bed bugs have become resistant to pyrethroid insecticides and are no longer effective, and are sometimes referred to as &#8220;super bed bugs. Organophosphorous and other insecticides are still effective and are used in extermination.</p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" What about in hotels?　If you find them at home..."></div>
<div class="expapp-yahoo-paragraph-break"></div>
<h3><span class="strongInContent">In hotels and other &#8220;lodging facilities&#8221;&#8230;</span></h3>
<p> Association representatives have been bitten by bed bugs and had their blood sucked. They just itch, but it lasts a long time. I would leave the bites for a day or two, then they would itch, and it would last about a week,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p> For example, if he stays at three hotels on a trip and returns home, he may notice the bed bug bites just as he is returning home, and he will not know which hotel or where else he was bitten.</p>
<p> The first thing to watch out for, he said, is the hotels and other accommodations where they stay when they travel. Although it is believed that the accommodation facilities are taking sufficient measures such as cleaning, they may not be able to take careful measures due to lack of manpower and other factors, and the stings may be overlooked. Mr. Mukai of the Taiyo Epidemic Control Research Institute offers the following advice upon entering an accommodation facility: &#8220;First, put your luggage at the entrance or in the bathroom.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> First of all, check to make sure that there are no infestations in the room by putting your luggage at the entrance or in the bathtub. They are often found around the beds, but also look at the curtains, gaps between the floor and walls, and gaps between the tatami mats.</span></p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<p> If you find bed bugs in your accommodations, Mukai recommends moving to another room or another accommodation.</p>
<p> Mukai also warns that bed bugs can be found around the beds, curtains and drapes, and even in the wallpaper. In particular, they recommend checking the area around the beds for fecal matter the size of a grain of garbage.</p>
<p> The MISHOP staff also recommends that when you enter a room at an accommodation facility, it is a good idea to put your bags, clothes, and shoes in a plastic bag instead of leaving them on the floor. They also said that bed bugs can get into the seams of bags and can also hide in the laces of sneakers. Bed bugs &#8220;prefer the smell of human blood, and are attracted to the smell of sweat and the carbon dioxide that people exhale,&#8221; he said.</p>
<figure id="attachment_348541" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348541" style="width: 4000px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="f8890498"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/d49782649d2fdb48115526e32a583231.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348541" class="wp-caption-text"> If you are concerned about bed bugs on trains, one way to prevent bed bugs is to avoid sitting down for short periods of time.</figcaption></figure>
<h3><span class="strongInContent"> On trains and restaurant couches&#8230; &#8220;People who are moving during the day don&#8217;t get stung.&#8221;</span></h3>
<p> On the other hand, could they be lurking in trains or on couches in restaurants? There is no need to worry excessively, but if you are concerned, such as between the seat and backrest, just look and check. If you are concerned about it on the train, one countermeasure is not to sit down for a short period of time. If you are concerned about your clothes or bag touching each other in crowded trains, you should avoid such trains. The association&#8217;s representative says, <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;People who are moving during the daytime do not get stung</span>.</p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<h3><span class="strongInContent"> If you find them at home&#8230;</span></h3>
<p> What should you do if you find one at home? What should you do if you find one at home or elsewhere?</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> If it is an early stage, you can manage it by taking measures, but if there is a large number of them, it is difficult to deal with them on your own.</span><span class="strongInContent"> </span></p>
<p> The best way to deal with the problem is to use adhesive tape or a sticky tape. The most effective methods include using adhesive tape and vacuum cleaners to get rid of them, and they are said to be weak against heat and dryness.</p>
<p> Mr. Mukai of the Oyo Epidemic Control Research Institute says that if you find them, consult a specialist for extermination. Some companies have little experience in this field, so we recommend that you check with them in advance to see if they have a proven track record,</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> &#8220;When you consult with them, try to talk to them about various things and see if everything makes sense,&#8221; he says.</span></p>
<p> He also says that there is no need to be overly concerned. There seems to be no need to be overly concerned.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> There have been no reports of the transmission of infectious diseases worldwide,&#8221; says a representative of the association.</span></p>
<p> The association&#8217;s representative said, &#8220;So far, there have been no reports of the transmission of infectious diseases worldwide.</p>


 Hideki Asai

 A pest control company says, "We receive about 100 consultations a month when we have a large number of consultations. The majority are from Osaka and Tokyo, followed by Kanagawa Prefecture, and many are from the general public in urban areas. The only way to know for sure what to do is to see with your own eyes...

Complete Guide] “Bed bugs” have reappeared in Japan… What to watch out for and what to do to avoid bringing them back home.

Access Ranking