I’ve been thinking a lot about bedbugs recently, because…well, because that’s part of my job description. I was asked to be on a radio show a couple weeks ago to talk about the rising tide of bedbugs in the United States (note to self: don’t pick up old mattresses left out on trash day). But I also think they’re pretty interesting. (Traumatic insemination, for starters…) And, thanks to Alex Wild, Annie Liebowitz to the arthropods, I now also think they’re rather lovely. If you haven’t checked out his blog, do.
[Note: To all the professional exterminators who are trying to post crypto-ads for their companies in the comments, please don’t bother. I’ll delete it. Why not buy a real ad from Discover and support the site?]
Originally published September 17, 2009. Copyright 2009 Carl Zimmer.