Bed bugs apparently love a crowd. A new study by North Carolina State University researchers shows that bed bugs develop faster when they live in large groups. The same quick-growth phenomenon has been observed in large populations of cockroaches, crickets and grasshoppers; but this is the first study to explore the impact group living has on bed bug growth cycles.
North Carolina researchers found that groups of bed bug nymphs (immature bed bugs) develop 2.2 days or 7.3% faster than solitary nymphs. The study also found that accelerated development occurred whether or not adult bed bugs were present. “The observations that adults do not appear to contribute to nymph development suggests that eggs can survive and found new infestations without any adults,” lead researcher Dr. Coby Schal told Science Daily.
The study sheds new light on the rapid growth of bed bug infestations that contributes to the challenge of exterminating these pests. Researchers will next be examining the group behavior of these insects, searching for the sensory cues that trigger more rapid growth rates. By learning more about bed bug behavior, researchers how to discover new ways to control and exterminate these blood-feeding pests.
At the recent Global Bed Bug Summit in Denver, Colorado, pest management professionals agreed that bed bugs are the No. 1 pest problem in America and the most difficult pest to exterminate. Experienced bed bug exterminators NJ like Allison Pest Control have learned there are two keys to successful bed bug extermination:
1. Thorough preparation prior to treatment is essential to the overall success and speed of extermination of bed bug problems.
2. Complete bed bug extermination requires three to five treatments spaced about one week apart to ensure that well hidden and newly hatching bed bugs are exterminated.