Feb 26, 2026
3 min read
Bed bugs are considered persistent pests that spread around the house and are difficult to get rid of.But ironically, they seem to be afraid of something very ordinary.New research now reveals the impact of...
Amazing discovery! This slowness can prevent sleep disorders
Bed bugs are considered persistent pests that spread throughout the house and are difficult to eradicate.But ironically, they seem to fear something very ordinary.New research now reveals what seriously affects these insects.The discovery may even affect pest control, as PETBOOK editor and biologist Saskia Schneider explains.
Bed bugs are something everyone fears
Bed bugs send chills down many people's spines - and rightfully so.Not only do these insects crawl under the covers at night to suck blood, but they are also difficult to get rid of.If you notice an infestation, you need to call an exterminator who deals with insects professionally using a strong poison.
Now, a new study suggests there may be an easier way.Researchers have found something that bedbugs fear and that everyone has in the house: water!1
Study the documents from the advance of water bugs to water for the first time
Yes, you read that right.Bedbugs don't like getting wet, researchers at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) have found.They describe for the first time the insects' clear aversion to water and wet surfaces.The findings were published in the "Journal of Ethology."
Entomologist Dong-Hwan Choe, a UCR professor and co-author of the study, sees an obvious anatomical explanation: Bed bugs have very flat bodies and small breathing holes, called spiracles, on the sides of their abdomen.
Water "sticks" for bed bugs
"When they physically come into contact with water, they stick to the surface, blocking their breathing," Choe was quoted as saying in the scientific journal Phys.Org.
Sticking to water?Yes, it is possible - at least if you are as tiny as a bug.Because the surface tension of water has a completely different physical effect than it does on larger bodies.
Attachment Strength is Likely to Cause Avoidant Behavior
This is due to the so-called surface tension, which is caused by special collisions of water molecules.You may be familiar with this phenomenon: a glass of water can be filled to the brim.The molecules "stick" together and hold each other - until the force (in this case gravity) becomes so great that the glass overflows.
This "sticking" of molecules is called cohesive forces in physics.But it works not only between molecules, but also between water molecules and any kind of surface, and physicists call it adhesive forces.This is why bed bugs are afraid of water.When a drop touches the body of a bug, it "sticks".But why is this a problem?
Bed bugs can be drowned by tiny droplets of water
Unlike us, insects do not breathe through their mouths and lungs, but by actively pumping air through their bodies with their stomachs.This air enters the insect's tracheal system through the spiraclesThese breaths are located on the side of the abdomen - near the ground
See more science
If water falls on the ground and touches the abdomen of an insect, the drops can cover the breathing holes.The bed bug has no chance to get rid of it and risk suffocation - at least this is the theory of the researchers.
Also of interest: Are stink bugs dangerous for pets?
An incidental observation in the laboratory
This insight suddenly came to Cho's lab.Bedbug colonies are usually kept in containers there.For feeding, researchers attach an artificial feeder to the top of the containers.Bugs crawl and pull their mouthparts through the membrane to draw blood.
However, one day the membrane was slightly damaged, which caused blood to leak out and absorb the paper into the bag, which became part of the insect."I thought that bugs like to drink blood on paper," reports Choe in "Phys.Org."But what I saw was different. He was diligently avoiding the part of the paper that was soaked in blood.
Water experiments prove prevention
To confirm the observation, the researchers additionally moistened the paper with water.The insects consistently avoided the wet areas.This prompted further experiments.
George Bustamante, a postdoctoral researcher from Choe's team, then developed an experimental design using a special infrared camera with a magnifying lens.Because, as Choe explains in "Phys.Org," it's not easy to find scarves.Especially young stages are small - only two millimeters in size.
Using video analysis software, Bustamante was able to assess color differences between the insects and the background to accurately capture movement patterns.He examined the speed and distance insects moved away from wet surfaces.It also looked at gender and age differences.
Enom bed bugs are very sensitive
Result: All bed bugs, male and female, old and young, avoided wet surfaces.It was also noticed that the insects moved away from the water faster than they approached it.
Smaller insects have a particularly pronounced reaction.They transform rapidly as soon as they approach wet areas.This shows that young insects are more sensitive to humidity than older ones.Since they are smaller, this makes sense, because the surface pressure of the water will have a greater effect on them than on larger insects.
Implications for pest management
But does this mean you can get rid of bed bugs by spraying the beds and walls with water?To answer these questions, more research is needed.However, Cho and his colleagues are already confident that their findings will be useful.
Companies developing or testing water-based pesticides should especially consider this behavior, according to researchers.Because insects actively avoid wet places, they can leave the treatment area and return to other areas of the affected property temporarily, which is a consequence, as Cho warns, "If the insects do not kill the insects immediately, they leave the treatment area and spread to other places."
How to effectively get rid of bed bugs in your home can be found in myHOMEBOOK colleagues: How to identify and get rid of bed bugs
A simple tip if you suspect bed bugs
For those who are afraid that bed bugs might be on their clothes or body, Che has a piece of advice: "Take a bath, that will solve the problem," he said."Of course, bed bugs in the room or on the bed will require other approaches."But at least you don't have to treat clothes or skin and hair with pesticides, as you do with bald people - water is enough here.
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