All over the world, bed bugs are growing in population. Experts believe the planet is now facing a crisis with the pests as more and more of them appear. As if you didn’t already have enough to worry about, now you need to be extra careful even when you’re sleeping.

When you do find these small, oval-shaped insects, they’re extremely difficult to get rid of. Most solutions are only partially effective and they have a habit of spreading to just about everywhere. Scientists know more about bed bugs today than ever before, and yet their numbers continue to rise. Is there anything which prevents them from infiltrating your home? 

At Truly Nolen, we’re experts with pest control and removal. But way before even we were even in the pest control business (and that was a long time ago) the Balkan people found an ingenious remedy for bed bugs. Let’s have a look at what they did and why scientists are trying to recreate that now.

What Exactly Did They Do in the Balkans?

Well, nobody’s really sure how they found out about it. But, happy coincidence or not, in the early 1900s people of Europe’s Balkan countries found a cure for bed bugs. Kidney bean leaves were found to attract and trap bed bugs. This is now known to be a centuries-old solution. Those suffering from bed bugs would leave the kidney bean leaves carefully placed around their beds and other furniture. As the insects began their nightly activities, they would naturally be attracted to those very leaves.

Seconds after stepping on the leaves, the bugs were trapped. Unable to move and rooted to the spot, there was no escape. The leaves were then set fire to in the morning and bed bug populations in the Balkans took a massive hit. It may not have been humane or particularly slightly, but it certainly worked.

How Are Scientists Trying to Recreate That?

Scientists have been fascinated with creating a synthetic version of this trap. But first, they had to understand the mechanism behind it. After intense investigation, they found that kidney bean leaves actually have tiny hooked hairs which latch on to insects. These microscopic hooks are known as trichomes. 

Researchers are investigating and engineering this traditional concept. Using the leaves wouldn’t present a sustainable or long-term solution. Kidney bean leaves dry out very quickly and aren’t readily available throughout the world. For that reason, scientists are trying to recreate the trap synthetically. While their functionality still isn’t fully understood, experts believe this process could be reinvented with modern technology and used to trap bed bugs today. 

If scientists can figure out how to mimic the leaf functionality, it would present an extremely useful bed bug trap. Bed bugs are nocturnal and appear at night when their hosts are normally asleep. They can’t fly or leap, but they’re experts when it comes to crawling and climbing bed frames. If these hooks were placed around a bed, it would quite literally stop them in their tracks before they got a chance to reach the place you sleep.

How Truly Nolen Can Help With Your Pest Problem

At Truly Nolen, we guarantee pest removal – and not with old Balkan recipes either, no matter how effective they may have been. We use the most advanced technology and modern equipment to ensure that your home has a thorough bed bug cleansing. Once we’ve removed the pests we also future-proof your home so that you won’t have to worry about pest infestation again. Instead of worrying about uncomfortable and itchy bites, you can sleep at night in the knowledge that your bed is free from these irritating pests.