That’s why you hardly hear about bearded men anymore

It’s been a long time since you thought about it beard now? Then maybe it’s time to freshen up a bit, with some more good news.

Between 2017 and 2020, it might seem that the whole of Norway trembled at the thought of seeing your beloved home invaded by this furry insect with its tentacles on the snow, at least if you were to sell your home.

This 2019 article illustrates this wellwhere the vermin companies were dwarfed by the Norwegian companies fearing invasion.

Now, in 2022, there are still beards in Norwegian homes, but things have significantly changed for the better.

Scientifically processed

– Until 2019, we didn’t know exactly how to fight bearded dragons, and then the media was talking a lot about it, says senior researcher Anders Aak at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

All the hoopla made FHI and the pest industry join forces to research methods that could defeat this pesky insect (sorry everyone entomologist who likes this animal).

The project was a success and a special gift was given in January 2019 approved by the Norwegian Environment Agency.

The agent has actually proven so effective that a number of countries now use the Norwegian-made poison and method.

– It’s actually a cockroach remedy, which took some time to get approved for use against bearded dragons. During the research, we also discovered that the agent was to be used on the entire building and not on individual apartments. If you spread the poison thoroughly, it takes everything, says Aak.

Here’s how it works

According to Anticimex product manager Erik Thomas Gjølme, a syringe is used to place a drop of poison behind the moldings in the house.

– Bearded creatures eat it and die. When other bearded cattle eat them, they ingest the poison and then the effect spreads effectively, says Gjølme.

Anticimex is one of the largest pest control companies in the industry and claims to have had a good relationship with FHI regarding both means and methodology that could be used on bearded dragons.

– Customer feedback is that they see a noticeable difference very quickly, says the specialist manager.

Strong gift

Aak says the poison can be dangerous to humans, but there’s so little left behind the listings in every single room that it poses no real danger.

– It’s only about a gram at 0.6 percent venom, so it’s a small amount, she says.

Aak is one of the FHI researchers who has been most central to the work with bearded dragons.

In the graph below, you can see how small the incidence of bearded dragon was in Norway, before it increased to 511 cases in 2016 and exploded in the following years.

In 2020 the peak was reached with 7,434 registered cases.

Subsequently, the number of bearded vulture fights stabilized and in 2021, the trend was declining.

– We are very happy that the increase in the number of bearded crab attacks has reversed and we believe and hope that the decline will continue. We will continue to monitor developments closely, says Aak.

White beard cream forever?

But is beard growth really no longer a problem?

Even though we don’t hear much about the animals anymore, there are still many people who report to pest control companies that they have them in their homes.

However, Gjølme in Anticimex says there are probably two reasons why it is now quieter than before.

– It’s still seen as embarrassing, but having a beard is probably something most people are used to by now. Plus, we have the tools to handle it right.

Senior Researcher Aak says you probably can’t expect to get rid of the beard forever.

– They come from somewhere in nature and there will probably always be some form of diffusion. We also have large imports of goods from overseas, so there will always be something from there, but the large growth we’ve seen previously has leveled off and will hopefully continue on the downside, he says.