On January 19th a report was published stating that Ohio State University scientists have conducted the first gene related study to identify the pesticide-resistant genes bed bugs carry. While we have known since July 2007 that bed bugs are pesticide-resistant (see 2007 study) it is nice to know that scientists are trying to identify what makes this happen and how we can take advantage of it in new chemical development.
As a bed bug dog trainer, I have to keep a colony of bed bugs on hand. They live and die in a vial with a screen on top for air(see photo). No, I don’t feed them on my body, but I am taking volunteers. If you take the time to read the 2007 study indicated above you will learn that there is an almost 40-year-old laboratory colony of bed bugs that have not developed the same resistance to pesticides. I buy my bugs from them for two reasons: 1) It is actually really challenging to collect 25 bugs in a vial without some escaping or spending hours in a really infested house. 2) Should mine escape I can spray them dead in a matter of seconds.
One day there will be a bed bug magic pill, but today heat is the only successful option. In the meantime stop spraying bed bugs! It does not eliminate them and it is making their species stronger!