Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite

The creepy crawlies of the night have returned. Bed bugs have not been a big problem since the fifties, however they have made their return known by becoming a big problem. The big problem with bed bugs now is that they have developed a resistance to two major groups of chemicals known to have worked in the past. Researchers at Vector-Borne Disease Research Center at Virginia Tech have discovered that beg bugs have become fairly resistant to pyrethroids; more specifically deltamethrin and beta-cyfluthrin. The studies show that bed bug populations  from different areas around the U.S. have different levels of resistance to each chemical. The bed bug's genome has not been sequenced, therefore its transcriptome was sequenced. In doing so, researchers found three different genes that produce enzymes to allow for the resistance of these insecticides. It was noticed that the enzymes can bind, deactivate, and break down the chemicals according to the researchers. In working in the insect control field, bed bugs have indeed become a big problem, most notably in areas with closer living spaces. We have actually had much success in controlling bed bugs with a safe, organic product. While signs of success are evident, bed bugs are showing that they can adapt to previous treatments and therefore researchers will have to continue their studies on these night crawlers.