Bed bug numbers are on rise all over the world. In fact, some people have even claimed that we’re nearing a bed bug ‘crisis’ as more and more of the pests appear in every corner of the map. They’re notoriously difficult insects to remove and are expert hitchhikers. They attach themselves to your clothes, your wallet, even your bags and find their way all over the world.

To make things worse, bed bugs have also recently developed a resistance to traditional pesticides. If they weren’t already difficult to remove, they’re becoming even more stubborn now. These bugs are as small as an apple seed and experts at spreading and reproducing. Let’s have a look at how a new pesticide gives hope for a cure to the worldwide issue.

A Formidable Opponent

Around a decade ago, bed bugs weren’t known to be a common problem. Now, they’ve made an incredible resurgence and are one of the most treated pest control problems in homes throughout Ontario.

Bed bugs are tiny. As a result of their small size (5mm), bed bugs can find a lot of hiding places. They’ll hide in floorboard cracks and tiny holes within mattress springs. Since they stay so well hidden, they can reproduce in peace. You probably won’t even notice that you have a bed bug problem until they’ve created an enormous colony.

Spraying surfaces with pesticides will target a large area, but bed bugs have the ability to hide from them. The use of chemical pesticides also requires that you apply it directly to the area where the pests are located. It requires a long-term and targeted application. 

Bed bugs have learned to hide and tuck themselves away very well. They sneak into the smallest cracks and crevices and for this reason, it’s very difficult to actually target the bugs with a chemical pesticide. The best hope is that as they spread, they somehow come in to contact with the chemicals. Easier said than done. To make things even worse, some bed bugs have also developed insecticide resistance. So how do you get rid of tiny, hiding, pesticide-resistant pests?

Have Scientists Made a Breakthrough? 

You do so with biopesticides. Scientists have been developing biopesticides for more than 30 years and believe they’ve finally found a solution which will help with bed bug treatment. Scientists at the Department of Entomology Penn State have made a breakthrough with a natural and indigenous fungus. This fungus, completely harmless to humans and other animals, spreads the infection to bed bugs and has been proven to kill the bugs with nearly 100% success.

The bed bugs are exposed to the fungus by walking across a surface which has been sprayed with biopesticide. Fungal spores attach themselves to their feet. As part of their daily routine, the bugs will groom themselves, and feet which are infected with the spores will spread the biopesticide all over their body. Around 20 hours after stepping on the biopesticide the spores begin to germinate. They colonize the body of the bed bug and within 4-7 days, the infected bed bug dies.

Better still, bed bugs spread the spores throughout the rest of their colony. This means that easily accessible areas can be sprayed with biopesticides. Bed bugs then do the hard work for us by spreading the infection to the rest of their population in their hard-to-reach homes.

Choose Truly Nolen

It’s an exciting breakthrough, but one which is still to reach the pest control market. Until then, get in touch with our Truly Nolen team for guaranteed bed bug removal. We’re the pest control experts and our unique approach targets your issue quickly and effectively.