The sharp increase of bedbug-related consultations in Tokyo and Osaka has reached record-breaking numbers this year say the local pest control associations. The sudden resurgence of these bloodsucking pests in Japan has raised concerns among experts who believe the infestations are spreading nationwide following similar outbreaks in South Korea and France.
Bedbugs, measuring about 5 millimeters in length, are nocturnal insects that hide in furniture during the day and come out at night to feed on humans. Their bites can trigger allergic reactions in some individuals, resulting in intensely itchy welts. The difficulty in detecting the tiny critters and the female’s ability to lay hundreds of eggs in her lifetime contribute to the rapid spread of infestations if they hitch rides on clothing or belongings.
Japan has witnessed a drastic reduction in bedbug numbers around 1970 with the widespread use of potent insecticides, but from around 2000, some bedbugs began to develop resistance to the insecticides. According to Tokyo’s pest control association, the capital has received 306 bedbug-related consultations as of November, already eclipsing the total 247 consultations in 2022. Earth Corp., a major Tokyo-based insecticide manufacturer, has also reported an eightfold surge in bedbug consultations in November compared to the same period last year.
The increase in Osaka is also significant, with 307 consultations as of the end of November, about 50 percent more than last year. An incident of a bedbug on the Osaka Metro spread on social media, prompting its operator to clean all 1,380 of its trains. The nationwide consultations in fiscal 2022 increased around fivefold from fiscal 2009 to 683, with people asking for referrals to exterminators and help in getting rid of bedbugs.
Masaru Natsuaki, president of the Japan Society of Medical Entomology and Zoology, and a professor of dermatology at Hyogo Medical University, highlighted that bedbug infestations are occurring outside of urban areas as well. Waves of outbreaks had been reported overseas, with the South Korean government declaring war on the pests in November, prompting extermination campaigns in lodgings, public transport, and other public areas.
In France, recent reports of bedbug sightings in trains, cinemas, and schools have caused a national panic, with fears that the image of Paris, set to host the Olympic Games next year, could be damaged. Natsuaki recommends sealing clothes and other belongings in plastic bags and placing them as far away from the bed as possible when traveling, but he adds that hysteria is unnecessary.
“(People are getting bitten) in various parts of the country, and nowhere can be considered safe. I want people to have the mindset that it can happen anywhere in the country,” said Natsuaki. He also pointed out that while bedbug bites cause intense itching, the pests do not transmit diseases. With proper preventive measures, there is no need for excessive fear. This surge in bedbug infestations has raised concern among experts, with some advising measures to prevent the spread. 」との話し方で苦情を受けている。”Cause I Said So” host Melanie Dale explains her views on mom shaming and how it’s affected her.
