Bed Bugs on the Rise

Bed bug

Instances of bed bug infestations have been on the rise in all types of residences in urban areas. That includes homes, hotels, and apartments. What are bed bugs? They are parasitic insects that feed on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded organisms.

Researchers believe that this rise is due to the development of resistance in certain bed bugs to pyrethroid insecticides. These insecticides work by attacking the nervous system of the bugs causing paralysis and death. It seems that certain bed bug populations, in particular those in urban areas, have developed mutations in their nerve cells that have allowed them to become immune to these insecticides.

Learn more about this study, see:

• How Bed Bugs Outsmart Poisons Designed To Control Them (Science Daily)