The use of DDT, before it was banned, nearly succeeded in eradicating bedbugs in the United States during the 1940s. Unfortunately, that chemical may have also been partially responsible for the bedbug developing an increased resistance to insecticides, which has resulted in a resurgence of the seemingly omnipresent pest. Increasingly, bedbugs are being reported all over the country. They hide in furniture, cracks in walls and ceilings, and even in clothing. Most disturbingly, they hide in mattresses and bedclothes, emerging to feed when they smell the carbon dioxide we exhale as we sleep.
Scientists have recently completed genome sequencing on the bedbug and confirmed that several of their 38,000 genes are associated with insecticide resistance. Those genes express themselves in proteins that prevent insecticide penetration and enzymes that detoxify chemicals. A group of researchers demonstrated just how quickly genetic adaptations can occur by conducting a study in which they compared the DNA of bedbugs from every New York City subway station. They found that there were significant differences in the genetic makeup of bedbugs from different parts of the same city.
Entomologists at North Carolina State University conducted a study that demonstrated that just one or two bedbugs can result in a manifestation. That’s because bedbugs, unlike most other species, can interbreed with siblings, or even parents, without suffering genetic deformities as a result.
Where Do Bedbugs Come From?
They are believed to have originated in tropical climates, but due to international travel, are now found everywhere in the world. Attaching themselves to luggage and clothing, their superior skills as international travelers have allowed them to continue to survive at the expense of their hosts. One of the things that make them such good travelers is that they can survive for up to a full year without feeding. In fact, rather than feeding daily, they usually prefer to feed weekly.
Pest control experts have had to become as adaptable as the bedbug in developing new safe and effective insecticides to combat the recent bedbug epidemic. Because bedbugs are unable to survive temperatures of over 120 degrees Fahrenheit, insecticides are sometimes used in combination with professional heat treatments. Many people who travel frequently have learned to take preventative measures like regular treatments to avoid massive infestations of bedbugs in their homes.
Need help getting rid of bed bugs today? Call Preventive Pest Control today!