Bedbug bait and trap invented by Simon Fraser University scientists

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.

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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."

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.

Why bedbugs love biting us so much

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.

"We realized that a highly unusual component must be missing one that we couldnt find using our regular gaschromatographicand massspectrometrictools," saidGerhard Gries.

Britton was then brought in to the team to study the tiny amounts of chemicalsRegineGries had isolated from shed bedbug skin andfigure outwhy bedbugs find human skin so appealing.

After two years, Britton and the Gries discovered the answer is histamine, a chemical which signals "safe shelter" to the bloodsucking pests.

Crucially, once in contact with histamine, the insects stay there regardless of how hungry for human blood they are.

Key to bedbug trap is in the feces

However, despite their extensive research, the Gries and their team still could not combine the histamine or pheromone blend to make an effective trap so they began analyzing airborne chemicalsfrom bedbugfeces.

Five months later, the team had discoveredthree newcompounds that hadnever before been reported for bedbugs, completing the combination of attractants needed for the trap.

Their bedbug trap has been successfully tested in bedbug-infested apartments in Metro Vancouver and the team isnow working withVictoria-basedContechEnterprises Inc. to developthetrap commercially.

Unfortunately, this means Regine Griesis still feeding the bedbug colonyevery week.

"Im not too thrilled about this...But knowing how much this technology will benefit so many people, its all worth it."