Bed Bugs Bollixed by Bean

Bed Bugs Bollixed by Bean
臭虫怕豆子
Bed bugs are notoriously tough to exterminate—many populations have already evolved resistance to common insecticides. But they do have a non-chemical enemy: kidney bean leaves.
臭虫是臭名昭著的难以消除——许多已经进化到对常见杀虫剂产生抗性。但是他们有一个非化学的敌人——四季豆的叶子。

The leaves' microscopic hairs pierce the bugs' feet, trapping them after just a few six-legged steps. It's a traditional anti-bed bug measure in the Balkans [See Michael F. Potter, The History of Bed Bug Management, in American Entomologist]. And tests have shown the leaves to be remarkably effective, but only when freshly picked—meaning it's not the most practical tactic for city dwellers.
四季斗的微型发丝能够刺穿臭虫的脚，只需六步臭虫就会倒下。这在Balkans地区是传统的除臭虫的方法。实验表明，这些叶子非常有效，但只是在新鲜的时候——意味着对城里人并不是最实用的方法。
So researchers tried a synthetic alternative. They created molds of the leaves, and cast 158 replicas using various plant-like polymers. The synthetic leaf surfaces looked identical to the real leaves, each sporting tens of thousands of sharp, hooked hairs. But they didn't impale or trap bed bugs in the lab—they just snagged them momentarily, delaying their march toward blood. Those results appear in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. [Megan W. Szyndler et al., Entrapment of bed bugs by leaf trichomes inspires microfabrication of biomimetic surfaces for pest control]
所以研究人员尝试了人工合成的方法。他们制作了叶子的模型，然后使用类似植物的高分子聚合物制作了158个复本。人工叶子表面和真的叶子看起来完全一样，每个都有上万个尖锐的带钩子的发丝。但是他们并没有钉住或陷住臭虫——他们只是暂时挂住臭虫，延缓他们的前进。结果发表在the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. [Megan W. Szyndler et al., Entrapment of bed bugs by leaf trichomes inspires microfabrication of biomimetic surfaces for pest control]
The researchers are still hunting for the bean leaves' secret. If they discover it, they say it could be a nifty way to treat infestations without pesticides. As long as the thought of all those bloodsuckers trapped and squirming under your bed won't bug you all night.
研究人员仍然在探索四季豆叶子的秘密。如果他们发现了，他们就找到了一个不用杀虫剂对付害虫的方法。至少知道这些吸血者在你创下被困住，就再也不会整晚睡不着了。