Researchers at Simon Fraser University have discovered a chemical combination, which can be used to lure and trap bedbugs for the killing. According to the findings, the combination is made up of six components that work together to create a pheromone used to attached and immobilize the pests.

In simple terms, excess bedbug feces and skin shed after a meal are an indication of a strong food source, which then attracts other pests to that same area. Bedbugs also emit volatile organic compounds that attract one another. Duplicating these two scenerios using chemistry provide an opportunity to lure and trap the bugs.

The chemists behind the research have been studying bedbugs in an effort to eradicate their spread for five years. They hope that the bait and trap will be manufactured and available for distribution sometime in 2015.

Although these pests were nearly wiped out a century ago, there has been a global bedbug resurgence over the past 15 years. Between 2007 and 2010, the estimated number of emergency room visits for bedbug bite injuries in the United States went from 2,156 to 15,945, according to a study published by the National Institute of Health.

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