Biologists boast: Bad bed bugs benign

William Atkins
Wednesday, 01 April 2009 19:29

Science - Biology

The abstract continues, “Evidence for disease transmission by bed bugs is lacking.”

Finally, “Pest control and eradication is challenging due to insecticide resistance, lack of effective products, and health concerns about spraying mattresses with pesticides.”

Dr. Goddard adds, “They can be eradicated from an individual house, but not from a geographical area. They're just too much of the perfect pest. They're very small, very flat. They go in little cracks and crevices. Babies are smaller than an ant and can live up to a year without blood. They're here to stay." [Scientific American]

For additional information on bed bugs, check out the MedicineNet.com article “Bed Bugs .”

The article states, "Bed bugs were common in the U.S. before World War II and became rare after widespread use of the pesticide DDT began in the 1940s and 1950s. They remained prevalent in other areas of the world and, in recent years, have been increasingly observed again in the U.S."

And, "Increases in immigration and travel from the developing world as well as restrictions on the use of stronger pesticides may be factors that have led to the relatively recent increase in bed bug infestations. While bed bugs are most likely to be found when sanitation conditions are poor or when birds or mammals are nesting on or near a home, bed bugs can also live and thrive in clean environments. Crowded living quarters also facilitate the spread of bed bugs."

Read the article for much more information on bed bugs.