Bed bugs, those nasty little creatures that have used human beings as a late night snack for centuries, have a new enemy being developed. Eastern European countries like Bulgaria and Serbia have long used a very simple yet extremely effective “trap” to prevent bed bugs from taking hold of their beds. What’s this secret? Bean leaves. Yes, bean leaves scattered on the floor near beds trap bed bugs, rendering them completely immobile. The next morning, the bug filled leaves are gathered up and burned.
What is it about bean leaves that make them such effective bed bug traps? When examined under a microscope, bean leaves are covered in microscopic hooks called trichomes. Think of the hook part of Velcro only much smaller. Bugs crawl on this and it simply ties their legs up and they are unable to break free.
You might wonder why this is newsworthy and it’s because this is an all-natural way to keep bed bugs out of your bed, leaving you free of nasty bites and it’s an alternative to insecticides. Any chemicals, when used in enough quantities can be harmful for people, animals, crops and water sources so any alternatives are good alternatives.
Using bean leaves in our homes isn’t quite the solution we want because leaves dry out, they may cling to clothing and furniture, be hard to clean up and our landlord probably doesn’t want us burning them in the backyard. Researchers are working on an artificial substance that can be used in place of these bean leaves and if perfected could provide a very cheap and effective way to ensure bed bugs aren’t a problem no matter where you go. Imagine having a little mat under your bed that can trap insects. You can simply slide it around as needed or more importantly, roll it up and take it with you on trips, especially when the hotel you’ve booked may not have the best reputation.
Work has already shown promise with this artificial bean leaf like material but is yet to be perfected. The hooks are a bit brittle right now but being able to mold this substance into various usable shapes is a definite advantage over leaves.
Until this day comes we’ll have to rely on older and more proven bed bug control techniques like insect traps, repellents and heat and learn to be a little more wary of our surroundings when staying in an unfamiliar hotel, motel or guest bedroom.
If you have a true infestation of bed bugs in your home, the best course of action you can take is to contact a pest control specialist and get a consultation. You can sometimes have your problem mostly taken care of yourself and an exterminator will do a little spraying or you can set up a series of treatments that span weeks or months for optimal coverage.