Sommières earth is effective against bedbugs, according to a study

In the scientific journal Parasite, researchers from Nice and Marseille showed that Sommières earth acts on bedbugs by killing them through dehydration.

Sommières earth, a household product commonly sold in stores, is effective against bedbugs, according to a study. Researchers from the Nice University Hospital and the Mediterranean Infection University Hospital Institute (IHU) in Marseille tested several types of powders, such as green clay, sodium bicarbonate, talc, diatomaceous earth and Sommières earth. “And the results show that the latter kills bedbugs in 24 hours.”assured parasitologist Pascal Delaunay to AFP on Friday, August 23.

This medical entomologist from the Nice University Hospital Center conducted this study for a year and a half with his colleague Jean-Michel Berenger, a member of the IHU of Marseille and founder of the National Institute for the Study and Control of Bedbugs. The study, conducted on two colonies of bedbugs, was published last month in the online scientific journal Parasite. “In addition to a short-term effect, since a simple three-minute exposure is enough to kill the bedbugs, we have also demonstrated a non-repellent effect, unlike chemical insecticides, and a transversal effect, meaning that a contaminated bedbug also contaminates its congeners and kills them.”said Pascal Delaunay.

Commonly sold commercially as a household product, to remove grease stains from wood for example, Fuller’s earth, a mineral composed of hydrated aluminum and magnesium silicate, acts on bedbugs by killing them through dehydration. “It is a simple product to use, accessible to all and respectful of both the environment and human health”rejoices Pascal Delaunay, who recommends, in the event of an infestation, spreading Sommières earth on the bed bases, while using the usual mechanical processes, including washing the laundry at 60 degrees.

This study also proved the effectiveness of silicon dioxide in combating bedbugs, a product currently being marketed for this use. Similarly, certain qualities of diatomaceous earth, a product sometimes used by professionals against bedbugs, are said to have some effectiveness, but they are “dangerous to breathe”.

The phenomenon of bedbug infestations has grown in recent years in France. According to a 2022 survey by the Ipsos institute for the National Agency for Health Security, 11% of French homes had been infested in the previous five years.