In the rush of the holiday season, you, like me, may have missed an interesting story about bed bugs. I don't blame you though. Bed bugs are repulsive little beasts. If you thought the idea of millions of microscopic dust mites feeding on your dead skins cells inside your mattress and pillow was gross, then the notion of tiny, visible, insects that come out at night to suck your blood is something straight out of B-movie horror flick (something probably not as good as Evil Dead but likely much better than The Night of Lepus). So what's the new research all about, and why are these creatures still a thing anyways? Time for a quick history lesson and then, some science!

Bed bugs were common in the U.S. during the early part of the 1900s. If you were alive during the 1930s, you likely had bed bugs in your home. By the middle of the century, bed bugs had largely been eradicated with the use of pesticides. This had its own set of problems as later research showed that many of the chemical pesticides used were extremely toxic. After decades of relative calm, bed bugs made a huge comeback in the early 2000s. With old pesticides now banned, pest control companies and individuals have struggled to eradicate them. Newer chemicals aren't quite as effective as in the past, so often people rely upon washing what can be washed, throwing away what can't, covering their mattress with bed bug proof covers, using extreme heat, and chemicals to corral and kill these tiny pests.

One specific line of research aimed to combat bed bugs has focused on pheromones and how bed bugs communicate. While scientists have had some idea, they hadn't been able to pin down what specific chemicals play a role or the exact role they play. In the past researchers have found that specific compounds they have tried to use as repellents or attractants would work in the laboratory but fail miserably in realistic test applications.

And while the thought of sleeping with tiny little vampire insects who come out at night while you sleep to bite you and feast on your yummy blood repulses pretty much anyone with a heartbeat, researcher Regine Gries bravely offered herself up in the name of science. For nearly five years, she allowed thousands of bed bugs to make a meal from her arms. (To this I say, ‘Nope, nope, nope, nope’) Unlike others, Gries reaction is relatively benign when bitten. While most suffer itching, swelling, and a rash, Gries only develops a slight rash from the bites. So after five years and 180,000 bed bug bites, what have they found? A lot, actually.

In all, researchers discovered five components to the pheromone attractant that bed bugs emit. They also found one compound, histamine that acts as a repellent. So what does all this mean? With additional testing, this information could be used to create pheromone based traps, repelling bed bugs away from certain areas of a room and attracting them with pheromones to traps. Unlike expensive and toxic pesticides, this type of treatment would lack the cost and harmful side effects.

While a consumer-based solution is still some time away, it would appear that researchers are on a track that could keep bed bugs at bay in a much safer way than in the past. And thank a scientist! I'm know I'm not volunteering to be a walking buffet for bed bugs. How about you?

To read the abstract of the research report or to read the press release regarding bed bugs and pheromones.

Author: K. Gilmore