Posted on 04/12/2013 8:50:30 PM PDT by LibWhacker
Generations of Eastern European housewives doing battle against bedbugs spread bean leaves around the floor of an infested room at night. In the morning, the leaves would be covered with bedbugs that had somehow been trapped there. The leaves, and the pests, were collected and burned — by the pound, in extreme infestations.
Now a group of American scientists is studying this bedbug-leaf interaction, with an eye to replicating nature’s Roach Motel.
A study published Wednesday in The Journal of the Royal Society Interface details the scientists’ quest, including their discovery of how the bugs get hooked on the leaves, how the scientists have tried to recreate these hooks synthetically and how their artificial hooks have proved to be less successful than the biological ones.
At first glance, the whole notion seems far-fetched, said Catherine Loudon, a biologist at the University of California, Irvine, who specializes in bedbug locomotion.
“If someone had suggested to me that impaling insects with little tiny hooks would be a valid form of pest control, I wouldn’t have given it credence,” she said in an interview. “You can think of lots of reasons why it wouldn’t work. That’s why it’s so amazing.”
But even though there is no indication that the bean leaves and the bedbugs evolved to work together, the leaves are fiendishly clever in exploiting the insects’ anatomy. Like the armor covering knights in medieval times, the bedbug’s exoskeleton has thinner areas where its legs flex and its tiny claws protrude — like the spot where a greave, or piece of leg armor, ends.
“The areas where they appear to be pierceable,” Dr. Loudon said, “are not the legs themselves. It’s where they bend, where it’s thin. That’s where they get pierced.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Even have knowledge of an infestation inside a lap top computer. Sixty minutes in a 175 degree oven worked well to stop that infestation from spreading. Computer was fine.
You've got an interesting concept of enlightenment. But what the heck...it's a free country. Worship bugs if you like.
Any idea how you train a dog to find bedbugs?
Velcro!
“Except for the Hobo spiders, which can hurt you in a big way.”
I hadn’t heard of Hobo spiders until a few months ago. Then someone I know was bitten by a Hobo spider and he has had three operations for the nerve damage he got from the bite, and he won’t know for a few months whether or not he will regain use of his left hand.
I haven’t seen many in the last few years.
About five years ago conditions were right for them, and I was seeing 2-3 per month.
Whatever the right conditions are, I’m not sure!
I think they are like a cousin (or closely related) to the brown recluse, which we DON’T have here.
Fortunately, they are quite non-aggressive. Wussies in the spider world!
Bed bugs have an unique scent. When you are a dog-EVERYTHING stinks uniquely.
A handler/trainer isolates/obtains the associated target. Then it is a matter of creating in the dog’s mind a ‘game’ that he scores points when he signals you (Sit, a bark, 3 legged stance like a pointing breed, etc.) whether the game depends on sight, sound or scent. Preferably you get to start the game—command it starts.
Dogs have instincts/traits that have been selected for (think of playing BALL with a Lab) and the training seeks to capitalize on, augment/expand, and communicate with the dog for a desired/directed outcome.
Its 2 way communication, listening to the hounds comes to mind. Watch a narco/explosive search dog....he sits hard and looks at the “quarry” when directed to ‘search’ or ‘find’ or released with an “OK”. A good handler tries to put his animal in target rich playing fields.
So-get a jar of bed bugs and carry on.....
YOU GOT TRUFFLES?
heh heh! yes! :)
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