2. Auburn University Bedbug Research Breaks New Ground

The bedbug has been making a steady return to bedrooms around the world ever since DDT almost eradicated it in the 1950s.

While there has been less research in the area in recent years, one important study is shedding new light on this common nocturnal menace.

Zach DeVries of Auburn University is studying the bedbug not only to understand how to kill it, but to better understand it so that future efforts to control the insect do not lead to insecticide resistance.

Part of DeVries’ project involves studying the bedbug’s metabolism and how the pest is able to live for a year or more without feeding. So far the scientist has found that the bedbug can stay alive for a long time, even when it has nothing to feed on, by slowing down its metabolism. The study has also found that temperature could also be a factor in bedbug survival.

While the findings may not have direct implications for techniques used to kill bedbugs, understanding the metabolism of the bedbug could allow scientists to develop better control techniques.

Source: http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/06/bedbug_menace_target_of_new_au.html