Hairy limbs keep bed bugs at bay

As reports of bed bug infestations rise, research about bed bugs is something consistently being completed. In this study, UK students found that those with hairier skin, were less likely to be bitten by bed bugs than those with less hair. For more information and tips on how to prevent bed bugs, check out our bed bug tips!

Source: BBC News

Hairier skin may be the key to avoiding being bitten by bed bugs, claim Sheffield academics.

Hungry bugs placed on shaved arms were more likely to try to feed compared with those on unshaved arms, the journal Biology Letters reported.

Researchers say the hair slows down the bed bugs and warns the victim.

Pest controllers say the UK is currently experiencing a steep rise in the number of bed bug infestations.

Prof Michael Siva-Jothy, from Sheffield University's Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, recruited 29 brave volunteers to test the theory further, watching the bedbugs as they found a place to feed and removing them only as they were about to bite.

He found that more layers of both longer visible hairs and finer, "vellus" hairs near the surface appeared to work as a deterrent to the insects, with the finer hairs also acting as an early warning system.

 Read the full article here

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