Category Archives: Bed Bugs British Columbia

After 180,000 bedbug bites and eight years of study, Simon Fraser University scientists say they have invented a new kind of bedbug bait and trap.

The trap, which will be available commercially next year, will workby emittinga set of chemical attractants, or pheromones, that lure the bedbugs into traps, and keep them there.

BiologistRegineGriesdiscovered the pheromonesafter acting as a hostfor more than a thousand bedbugsduring the research, which also involvedher husband, biology professorGerhardGries, SFUchemistRobertBrittonand a team of students.

"The biggest challenge in dealing with bedbugs is to detect the infestation at an early stage," saidGerhard Gries in a newsrelease on Monday.

"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 treatments effectiveness."

In this undated photo, a common bedbug is engorged with blood after feeding on a human. (The Associated Press)

RegineGriesendured 180,000 bites from the team'sbedbug colony as part of the research, the release said, because she is immune to the bites, getting only a slight rash instead of the usual itching and swelling most people suffer.

Bedbugs are wingless pests that feed on humans as their preferred source of blood. The small, flat insects were all but wiped out after the Second World War but have returned with a vengeanceto Canadian homes, hotels and shelters.

The insects will bite all over a human body, favouring the face, neck, upper torso, arms and hands. Theycan go for weeks or months without feeding, depending on the temperature.

The Gries research began eight years ago, when theyinitially isolated a pheromone mix that attracted bedbugs in lab experiments, but not in bedbug-infested apartments.

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Bedbug bait and trap invented by Simon Fraser University ...

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

Immedietly following a stay at the Best Western Invermere Inn myself and several co-workers all suffered extensive bites allover our bodies. I have been incredibly dissatisfied with the service I have received from both the hotel directely and Best Western International when informing them off the issue.

After bringing the concern to the attention of the hotel staff, the hotel manager did not return my call until several weeks later and after I had escalated the matter with Best Western International directly. At this time I was informed that hotel cleaners has inspected the room and found no traces of bed bugs, however, I later found out that they can be incredibly hard to detect and that its company policy to employ a professional pest control company who are highly trained and experienced in detection (K9 detection is now the industry standard also) in response to any claims.

Whilst preparing for a subsequent business trip I inspected my luggage which had been in quarantine since my stay and to my horror I found several dead bed bugs. This together with similar reports from work colleauges who stayed in the same or adjcent rooms at the same time has conformed to me that there is without doubt an issue at the hotel. Both the hotel manager and Best Western International have completley denied this despite knowing that a professional inspection has not been carried out. In addition to this the hotel manager came across as condescending and highly unsympathetic to my concerns. I have contacted the hotel manager and Best Western International to request that they cover the costs of replacing or fumigating my luggage and having an independant inspection of my own home to provide peace of mind that I have not brought bed bugs back into my own home as a direct result of my stay at the hotel. Both parties have offered little sympathy, and no guidance or monetary compensation; the hotel manager has to this day not returned my last telephone call from several weeks ago.

Due to the legal implications of such a serious pest issue I'm starting to wonder if it's company policy to deny that there is ever a problem (even if there is) and to leave affected guests "stranded" so as not to further implicate themselves?

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

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Bed Bugs - Review of BEST WESTERN Invermere Inn, Invermere ...

Pheromones lure bedbugs into a trap where chemicals immobilise them A cocktail of six different chemicals was needed to make an effective lure Researchers hope to have commercial trap available within the next year Wife of scientist leading the study acted as the host who fed the bedbugs during tests with her own blood She believes she has been bitten 180,000 times in the hunt for the lure

By Richard Gray for MailOnline

Published: 11:39 EST, 23 December 2014 | Updated: 11:51 EST, 23 December 2014

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They are among the most dreaded and persistent pests to invade our homes, but groundbreaking research has provided a new way to combat bedbugs.

Scientists have discovered a set of pheromones, the chemical signals given off by insects, that can lure bedbugs into traps.

They have also identified an extra component that can then, crucially, keep the biting insects in the trap and away from their human food.

Bedbug infestations cause misery for millions around the world but scientists have developed a new lure that can trap the insects by mimicking pheromones that the parasites release to signal they are in a 'safe haven'

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No more itching! Scientists discover a 'cocktail of chemicals' that lures bedbugs into traps - and keeps them there

VANCOUVER -- A British Columbia biologist has endured 180,000 bites with the intention of sucking the life out of the worldwide bedbug epidemic.

Once thought eradicated in industrial countries, the pests have reappeared over the past two decades, infesting everything from low-income housing to pricey hotels.

A team from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., including biologists, a chemist and students, has now identified a set of chemical attractants that lure the bedbugs into traps and keep them there.

But those findings required biologist Regine (reh-GINA') Gries, who is immune to the bites, to act as a host so the pests could feed while scientists gathered skin and feces from the bugs to analyze.

The team is now working with a company based out of Victoria, B.C., to develop the first effective and affordable trap to detect and monitor infestations.

SFU Prof. Gerhard Gries, the husband of Regine, says the trap will help landlords, tenants and pest-control professionals to determine whether a premise has a bedbug problem.

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Scientist endures 180,000 bed bug bites