British Columbia University develops improved bed bug trap

In an effort to combat a worldwide menace, researchers atSimon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, have identified a set of chemical attractants that will improve bed bugtraps for residential and commercial use.

According to Canadian news outletCBC News, the researchers endured180,000 bed bug bites over eight years of study to discover anoptimized set of chemicals thatact as a much stronger bait than current market offerings.Regine Gries, the biologist who acted as host for thousands of the biting insects over the course of the study, discovered the pheromones that will be used in the trap the team developed, to be released commercially in 2015.

"The biggest challenge in dealing with bedbugs is to detect the infestation at an early stage," said Gerhard Gries, Regine Gries' husband and another biology professor at the university, in a news release. "This trap will help landlords, tenants, and pest-control professionals determine whether premises have a bedbug problem, so that they can treat it quickly. It will also be useful for monitoring the treatment's effectiveness."

The chemical acting as a strong attractant to bed bugs was discovered to behistamine, as well as three new bed bug-relatedcompoundswhich help to improve the trap. The team is still testing the new device to optimize it for commercial use.

While a new trap can help property owners better manage bed bug problems themselves, sometimes it's necessary to just call in the professionals to eliminate the threat entirely. If you get reports of bed bugs in your buildings, contact Rudy's Exterminating Co., Inc., and we'll respond with in 24 hours to provide the assistancethat only a professional pest control company can.

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British Columbia University develops improved bed bug trap