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Gene Mutation Boosts Bed Bug Insecticide Resistance

4/26/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A gene mutation is empowering bed bugs with increased resistance to insecticides, warns Warren Booth, an Associate Professor of Urban Entomology. Once nearly wiped out by DDT in the 1950s, these pests have made a troubling comeback since the late 1990s, potentially fueled by their cohabitation with pets treated with fipronil.

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Story summary

A gene mutation is empowering bed bugs with increased resistance to insecticides, warns Warren Booth, an Associate Professor of Urban Entomology. Once nearly wiped out by DDT in the 1950s, these pests have made a troubling comeback since the late 1990s, potentially fueled by their cohabitation with pets treated with fipronil.