NMSU work may aid bed bug fight

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Bed bugs are very good at smelling out a meal, which is often human blood. The insects smell our perspiration and the carbon dioxide we exhale and come running.

A bed bug is injected with dye at New Mexico State University. Researchers at the school say in a new study that certain chemical compounds interfere with bed bugs sense of smell, offering a potential new weapon in our battle with the insects. (Courtesy of Immo Hansen)

Researchers at New Mexico State University said in a new study that certain chemical compounds interfere with bed bugs sense of smell, offering a potential new weapon for protecting ourselves from the bloodsuckers.

The same compounds also appear to have the added benefit of making it harder for bed bugs to reproduce by hindering the movement of sperm, said Immo Hansen, an associate professor of biology at NMSU.

Most bloodsucking insects find their host by using their sense of smell, said Hansen, the studys lead author. If you can block that, or if you have repellents that cause (bed bugs) to actively avoid a certain area, then you can treat these areas and prevent getting bitten.

The study was published Nov. 20 on PLOS One, a peer-reviewed online publication.

Bed bugs have re-emerged in recent years as a serious and growing problem in the U.S. and around the world, the study said. The insects have also developed resistance to a wide variety of insecticides, calling for new strategies to fight infestations.

HANSEN: Research may help manage bugs

The NMSU scientists performed laboratory experiments with bed bugs using a pair of chemical compounds developed in studies with mosquitoes. They found that the compounds were effective in blocking bed bugs sense of smell, preventing them from congregating around odors they normally find attractive, the study said.

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NMSU work may aid bed bug fight

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