French study praises ‘miracle product’ against bedbugs
The study found that a commonly-used clay powder is effective against the insects
The powdered clay - terre de Sommières - tested in the research study was found to be effective against the bugs
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A new study in France has found that a product designed to combat bedbugs is successful against the insects, which are notoriously difficult to remove.
The study by researchers at the CHU in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur) - with l’Institut hospitalo-universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection de Marseille - found that the product eliminates a bedbug infestation on a mattress within 24 hours.
The study was published in the scientific journal Parasite last month.
‘We tested several types of powder, including green clay, sodium bicarbonate, talcum powder, diatomaceous earth and terre de Sommières, and the results show that the latter kills bedbugs in 24 hours,” said Dr Pascal Delaunay, a parasitologist and medical entomologist (insect expert) at Nice University Hospital, who conducted the study for 18 months.
He worked alongside his colleague Jean-Michel Berenger, a member of the Marseille IHU and founder of the Institut national d'étude et de lutte contre la punaise de lit (INELP).
Terre de Sommières (often referred to in this way in English, as well as in French) is a type of powdered clay, and is a mineral made from hydrated aluminium and magnesium silicate. It kills bedbugs through dehydration.
It is already widely used in domestic cleaning products as a stain remover and colour bleacher, and sometimes even included in pharmaceutical products to help with gastrointestinal complaints such as IBS.
‘It's a product that's easy to use, accessible to everyone and respects both the environment and human health,” said Dr Delaunay.
Read also: What is the cost of getting rid of a bedbug infestation in France?
He said that in the event of a bedbug infestation, terre de Sommières should be sprinkled on bed bases and left for at least 24 hours. Other precautions, such as washing all sheets, clothes, and linen at 60C or more, should still be undertaken, he added.
Other methods include putting everything into a sealed bin bag and keeping this in a large freezer for two to four days.
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The study finding comes after a bedbug ‘epidemic’ swept France in summer 2023, with the insects being spotted in cinemas, trains, buses, and metro carriage seats. Similarly, there were fears that bedbugs would cause problems at the Paris Olympics.
