WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- A new study from Purdue University suggests that bedbugs may be getting harder to kill.
Researchers tested two commonly used pesticides on bedbugs they gathered from ten different parts of the country.
The study, published in The Journal of Economic Entomology, found that bedbugs are showing a lower susceptibility to two common pesticides containing chlorfenapyr or bifenthrin.
During their testing, researchers found that some of the bedbugs had become resistant to one or sometimes both of the pesticides they were using. In some tests, the bugs lived for up to a week after exposure to the pesticides.
They also found that higher levels of pesticide were needed to kill the insects that weren't resistant.
Experts suggest a "multi-legged" approach when dealing with bedbugs. that includes using pesticides along with other methods like traps or steam.
