These colors attract bed bugs

Just the thought of bed bugs makes many of us cringe. Find out which colors the insects find particularly attractive and how you can quickly get rid of the crawlers.

How do I recognize bed bugs?

Before we get to the favorite colors of the little bloodsuckers, we’ll tell you how you can recognize a bed bug infestation . Because with the naked eye this is quite difficult, if not impossible – especially if the bed bugs have sucked blood overnight. They are only between 4 and 8.5 millimeters in size, are nocturnal and have a reddish-brown color. Most people only notice the vermin when small, red bite marks appearappear on the body. These can be itchy and there are usually several close together. Another indication are traces in the bed linen – small black dots indicate the excrement of the bed bugs, but red traces of blood can also be an indication of the infestation. In the case of severe infestation, there is also an intense smell of  bitter almonds  .

Find out more : These home remedies help against bed bug bites >>

Bed bugs love these 3 colors

To prevent the parasites from settling in your bed linen in the first place, you can follow a few simple tips. In addition to maintaining strict hygiene in the bedroom, you should avoid those colors that bed bugs like best. Researchers at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska , found out what these are  . Using blobs of color in Petri dishes, the scientists investigated which colors bed bugs are particularly attracted to. Those were the three most popular.

1. Rot

The color red was actually the most popular.  29 percent  of the bed bugs ran to the red color spot, which according to the researchers could be due to the similarity with their own red-brownish shell color. This preference had also been shown in previous studies.

2. Schwarz

Twenty-three percent  of the bed bugs studied ran to the  color black, which may reflect their general preference for dark spots and hiding spots.

3. Orange

In third place comes the color orange, which  20 percent  of the bed bugs examined went to. The resemblance to their favorite color red and the color of their carapace probably plays a role here.

Tip:  It is therefore best to use bright green and yellow tones when choosing your bed linen. Brilliant white is also recommended – these colors proved to be particularly unpopular with bloodsuckers in the study.

Here’s how to get rid of bed bugs

To get rid of the bugs quickly, you should wash your bed linen at 60°C. Change your sheets and covers at least every two weeks. Bulky items that don’t fit in the washing machine, such as mattresses, suitcases or furniture, can be sprayed with an insecticide. For example, you can find anti-bed bug sprays here from  Gerobug or  DFNT . However , the Federal Environment Agency warns that more and more bed bugs are developing resistance to pesticides. Also, heed these other tips and tricks: Fighting bed bugs: How to get rid of the parasites >>

Important:  If the infestation has existed for a long time and the bedbugs have already built nests in the walls and floor of your apartment, only a professional  pest controller can usually help .