Why Do Most Bed Bug Traps Fail?
Matt Unrein • October 3, 2024
New Bed Bug Traps Have Been Used at the Paris Summer Olympics to Great Success
Bed bugs are smarter than people give them credit. Most traps require the bed bugs to enter into the trap of their own free will but bed bugs hide inside of tight spots and only come out to feed off their hosts. Very rarely do they deviate from this pattern. Many traps provide no reason for bed bugs to walk into the trap.
But the Paris Summer Olympic Games have introduced a new bed bug trap into the world stage. Presented by Arctech Innovation which is a spin-out company from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has launched BugScents Sentry at the Olympic Village.
Professor James Logan, CEO of Arctech, said: "We’ve supplied athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics with BugScents Sentry for early detection of bed bugs so they can rest and recover without the worry of being bitten by bed bugs and stay focused on performing at the highest level during the games."
The scientists from Arctech discovered a pheromone that bed bugs produce which attracts other bed bugs. The pheromone was then reverse-engineered into a formal after three months of work. BugScents Sentry direct bed bugs into the trap by using guide channels since the pests have a nature of holding to the edge. Rather than the replaced glue traps being placed on the floor, the glue is applied to the roof of the trap. This method captures the pests on their backs rather than their feet.
“This summer is the Olympics in Paris. Big sporting events like that mean people are traveling more than normal, which may lead to greater movement of bed bugs,” said Professor Logan. “There is also likely to be a continued increase in bed bug infestations in the UK this summer.”
These devices are available for purchase by the public and can shipped to Kansas and Missouri from the United Kingdom. But please keep in mind that these devices are for prevention, not extermination. These traps can prevent the bed bugs from biting you at night but they will not stop the pests from setting up shop in your house, apartment, or building. If you think you have bed bugs in your home, please give us a call at 816-237-5342. If you are unsure if you have bed bugs please visit our FAQ page
or you can have us come over for a free inspection.
The orginal article can be found here: MSN
Humans have fought— and lost—many battles against pesky insects and rodents throughout history. From plague-ridden rats in 14th-century Europe to the modern comorbid mosquito, millions of people have fallen to opponents a fraction of their size. But the earliest war has lasted over 245,000 years and is still fought today: Humans versus bed bugs. A team of researchers at Virginia Tech studied the lineage of bed bugs and found that patterns in their activity coincided with the rise and fall of the human population over time. Though these findings admit the defeat of bed bug reign by humans, they can be used to predict future invasions as urban living develops, and to investigate the phenomenon of insecticide resistance in the determined bed bug species. Though bed bugs first preferred cave-dwelling bat blood, a group of them jumped over to the Neanderthals in those same caves, and their palates have remained un-cleansed ever since. In fact, humans became the bed bug’s exclusive source of sustenance, a preference shared by only one other insect species—head lice. Just like you won’t find a family of lice at the local park, you won’t find bed bugs in your garden—only in your bed and other suitable dark spots in your home. Bed bugs have hitchhiked and set up camp amongst humans for centuries, just waiting for the perfect time to indulge in their human midnight snacks. But there is good news. Bed bugs will not be the cause of any new plagues, as they cannot make humans sick. Though their bites, as well as their resilience, can be irritating, their harm is liminal, and there are easy methods for getting those lazy bones (or exoskeletons?) out of your bed. However, bed bugs are resistant to many residential chemicals, and consulting professionals is your best bet. First, call SOS Pest Control for a FREE inspection. If they do bombard on a bed bug sleepover, their safe and effective heat treatment heats your home’s walls to rid of bed bugs from the inside out. This safe, effective, and damage-free process takes little time, and SOS’ unmarked vehicles ensure your neighborhood won’t be all up in your business (as for businesses, we will make sure the neighborhood is back up in you soon). Call (816) 471-5733 today or visit online at soskc.com Original article: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2025/05/bed-bug-whole-genome-human-lineage-warren-bo
According to a TIME article, bed bugs have been a persistent problem for years, but lately, they’ve become even more difficult to eliminate. That’s because these pests are developing resistance to many common pesticides, making traditional treatments less effective.
