Bed bugs 'invade' Japan.

According to pest control associations in the Japanese cities of Tokyo and Osaka, the number of bedbugs in these cities has risen to record highs this year. Experts warn that the situation is spreading nationwide, Kyodo News reported.

The unexpected bed bug outbreak in Japan comes after other countries, including South Korea and France, reported similar situations, according to NHK. The insects are causing concern as domestic and international tourism struggles to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Many people attended a presentation on how to control bed bugs in Seoul, South Korea.

Bed bugs, about 5 mm long, hide in cracks and crevices in furniture during the day and come out to feed on human blood at night. Their bites can cause an allergic reaction in some people, leading to intense itching.

Early detection of these insects is also challenging because a single female bed bug can lay hundreds of eggs throughout its lifespan. This means that the infestation can spread more easily if the insects cling to clothing or furniture.

Although aphids have been present in Japan since the late 19th century and once spread throughout the country, their numbers declined sharply around 1970 thanks to pesticides. However, since around 2000, some species of aphids have begun to develop resistance to pesticides.

According to Tokyo's pest control association, the Japanese capital received 306 calls for assistance from residents between January and November this year. This far surpasses the total of 247 calls in 2022.

Meanwhile, Osaka received 307 calls for assistance from the beginning of the year to the end of November, about 50% more than last year.

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In late November, reports of bedbugs appearing on Osaka subway trains went viral on social media, prompting the train operator to clean all 1,380 trains.

According to expert Masaru Natsuki, President of the Japan Society of Entomology and Zoology and professor of dermatology at Hyogo Medical University (Japan), bed bug infestations are occurring even outside urban areas.

Experts are urging people to wrap their clothes and belongings in plastic bags and place them as far away from their beds as possible when traveling.

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