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Tom's Guide
4 hours ago
- Health
- Tom's Guide
Bed bugs have ruined our sleep for 60,000 years, new research reveals — 5 ways to keep them out of your mattress
Sleep is the great unifier and while our ancient ancestors didn't have to worry about excess screen time and bed rot, we do have at least one sleep disruptor in common: bed bugs. New research suggests that bed bugs are the earliest human pests, following us out of the caves roughly 60,000 years ago and booming as our population expanded into cities. And we haven't been able to shake them since. Researchers from Virginia Tech have been tracing the history of bed bugs back to a subset of the species detaching itself from bats and choosing humanity as their favorite food source. While the Last Glacial Maximum around 20,000 years ago (the ice age) saw a decline in the general bed bug population, the human-associated bed bugs bounced back. Sadly — or, perhaps, happily — the bat-following bed bugs haven't fared quite so well. And it turns out our oldest pests have weathered a lot to continue bothering us, thriving as we established cities, rejoicing as the population expanded and even surviving the emergence of powerful pesticides. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. So is there anything we can do to actually get rid of bed bugs? On a global scale, it seems unlikely. They're incredibly hardy and we clearly taste incredible. In your own home? That's a different story and if the past 60,000 years have been good for anything it's developing new, effective ways to remove bed bugs. The best mattresses you can buy online are undoubtedly better for your sleep than a Neanderthal bed (cavemen didn't even have Phase Change Material) but they are still vulnerable to bed bugs. However, with these tips you can keep bed bugs from infesting your mattress. One of the most effective ways to get rid of bed bugs at home is with a hot wash — bed bugs are not a fan of excessive high temperatures. We recommend washing your bedding once a week to prevent stains and this regular cleaning schedule can also prevent an outbreak of bed bugs before it gets started. Use a 140°F wash for a minimum of 90 minutes and follow up with either a hot dry cycle or a few hours in direct sunlight to eradicate bed bugs and their eggs. And when your sheets are drying, leave your mattress bare to allow it to breathe. This air flow helps trapped moisture dissipate and clears the enticing scent of you that attracts bed bugs to your mattress. Bed bugs are consummate hiders: they're tiny, fast and love the dark. That means the seams and crevices of your mattress are perfect bed bug homes. But the piles of laundry lying around your bed are equally attractive hideouts. If you want to limit the areas for bed bugs to lurk, keep the space around your bed clean. Just think, if Grug had only tidied his mammoth skin tunic away, we might not have to think about bed bugs at all... It's a common misconception that bed bugs are attracted to mess. They're just as happy in a clean mattress as a dirty one. However, keeping your bed clean does help you avoid bed bugs. Vacuuming your mattress can remove visible bed bugs as well as other pests and allergens that might be lurking in your bed. A thorough vacuum also presents an opportunity to check for bed bugs. As mentioned, they're exceptionally good at hiding which means you might not be aware of a problem until it's a full blown infestation. So when vacuuming keep an eye out for common signs of bed bugs, such as red or brown stains, eggs or discarded shell cases in the seams. Bed bugs have followed humans as we've spread across the globe — they're one of our most reliable travel companions. If you've been subject to a bed bug outbreak at home, there's a good chance they're an unwelcome souvenir from a trip away. You can avoid bringing bed bugs home with you by being alert, checking new beds for signs of pests and washing your clothing as soon as you get home. Research suggests that the creation of chemical pest control DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) contributed to a massive crash in bed bug population but it quickly bounced back (...yay.) However, there are chemical bed bug killers such as CrossFire that have proved effective at eradicating an outbreak, while diatomaceous earth is commonly used as pest control. Other preventative tools such as bed bug glue traps can help you stop bed bugs as they make their way to your mattress. But for a serious infestation, it might be time to call in the professionals. Otherwise, here's to another 60,000 years hand in hand with bed bugs.
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Science
- Indian Express
Bed bugs were likely one of the first pests found in cities, new study finds
Common bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) grew in number when humans started living together in the first cities. These tiny bloodsuckers were likely the first insect pests to thrive in city environments, and maybe even the first urban pests, according to a new study by scientists at Virginia Tech, United States, that was published in Biology Letters on May 28. Bed bugs originally fed on bats. But around 245,000 years ago, one group of bedbugs started feeding on humans, likely beginning with Neanderthals. About a year ago, Lindsay Miles from Virginia Tech began studying bedbug genetic data to see how their populations changed over time. Bedbug numbers dropped around 19,000 years ago, when the Ice Age ended and habitats changed. Both types of bedbugs did decline, but the ones that fed on humans increased sharply some 13,000 years ago, stayed steady for a while, and then rose again 7,000 years ago. In comparison, the population of bedbugs that feed on bats are still decreasing. The big change from fewer to more bedbugs happened around the same time the first cities appeared in western Asia and started to grow, as per the study. Before that, people moved around a lot and didn't often meet other groups, so bedbugs didn't spread much either. But once people began living together in cities, it created a new environment for bedbugs. The study states that the bugs started mating with each other more, their numbers grew quickly, and they adapted to life in cities. The researchers also hypothesised that bed bugs were one of the first pests to adjust to city life and were likely the first insect pests to live in urban areas. Other animals became connected to city life much later. German cockroaches, for instance, started living closely with humans around 2,100 years ago, and black rats around 5,000 years ago. Mark Ravinet, an evolutionary biologist from the University of Oslo in Norway, who said that these findings showed that bedbugs can help scientists learn how species adapt to live with humans. He said the study was important for understanding how quickly animals can adjust to human environments and what changes they make in order to survive.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Washington Commanders rookie Jaylin Lane is giving offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury no choice but to use him frequently in his rookie year.
Washington Commanders rookie Jaylin Lane is giving offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury no choice but to use him frequently in his rookie year. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Washington Commanders may have just found a diamond in the rough. Advertisement With their fourth-round pick at No. 128 overall, the Commanders chose the electrifying Virginia Tech wide receiver Jaylin Lane, who could turn out to be one of the most impactful rookies from the Draft. Many expect him to be a kick returner before he gets many chances with the offense, but that role is something he is attacking with full force. "I'm just here to dominate my role. That's gonna be part of my game," Lane said via the team website. "Being a rookie coming in, I gotta play special teams regardless. So, I'm excited for that. Just being back there, I feel like I can make any play, any catch and ultimately, take it to the crib. Advertisement "That's what you want to do as a returner. Speed is one of my assets. I plan on using it every chance I get." Even more exciting for the Commanders fans already drooling at the mouth is the reports of Lane's performance at OTAs this week. Washington insider Rick Snider was thoroughly impressed with what Lane showed as a receiver, calling the prospect a "sleeper" to crack the offensive rotation. Lane might not have been brought in because there was a major need for an offensive playmaker, but if he can be another weapon for star quarterback Jayden Daniels, that's a nice bonus. It could turn the Commanders into one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NFL ... if they aren't already after last season's fireworks. Advertisement The rookie Lane's first pro practices may be leaving Kingsbury no choice but to find him touches in that scheme. However, there are now two proven veterans in Daniels' arsenal, too. Joining Terry McLaurin in the receiving corps is Deebo Samuel Sr., acquired this offseason in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers. They each will be great assets for Lane's growth as the rookie can learn from two versatile athletes who have already thrived in high-octane offenses. As McLaurin and Samuel are the focal points of the passing game, Lane could find lanes open up for him, and if he "takes them to the crib", it will lead to more and more targets. Advertisement This creates for a crowded offensive situation, but Lane reiterated that he will fit whatever role he is called into. We believe that will be an impactful one with how Washington is already finding new ways to utilize him in kick returns and in the slot on offense. Says Lane: "I'm just very confident. And I feel like I'm gonna be able to help score some touchdowns for the Commanders." Related: Commanders Rookie Electric Season Predicted By NFL Analyst Related: Kingsbury Previews Samuel's Impact on Commanders This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Health
- Miami Herald
Five-decade study: Black girls build on preschool success, while Black boys struggle in some measures
Decades before the Trump administration forbade using federal funding for research into the topic, Craig Ramey wondered if high-quality early education for Black children in North Carolina might improve their life outcomes. Armed with a grant from the National Institutes of Health, Ramey established the Abecedarian Project at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The study assigned infants, most of them Black, who had been born into low-income families between 1972 and 1977, to an intervention group that received full-time, high-quality child care from infancy through age 5. (The project name was drawn from an old-fashioned term meaning someone who is just learning their ABCs.) In the 1960s and '70s, researchers lacked a full understanding of why children from disadvantaged backgrounds had developmental delays compared to their more advantaged peers, said Ramey, now 81 and a professor and researcher at Virginia Tech. "What I wanted to address is whether we could prevent that delay from occurring in the first place," he said. The children in the intervention group received individualized prescriptions of educational activities and games that focused on social, emotional and cognitive areas of development, withe particular emphasis on language. Researchers tracked the participants well into their mid-40s, comparing them to a control group that did not receive the services. Their latest findings, published last year in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, found different results for Black boys and Black girls who were enrolled in the program. Both boys and girls in the early education intervention group showed significant gains through their elementary, middle and high school years. That finding matches that of other long-running early education research programs, such as the Perry Preschool Project, which tracked subjects in Ypsilanti, Michigan, from their toddler years into their 50s. Related: Young children have unique needs and providing the right care can be a challenge. Our free early childhood education newsletter tracks the issues. But the study also showed that while Black women continued to build on those cognitive gains into adulthood, the progress of Black men stalled out. By their mid-40s, the students' cognitive outcomes were significantly different, with Black women continuing to gain in IQ, reading and math skills while Black males wound up scoring the same as those in the control group - their gains virtually erased. "When boys hit adolescence they face some rocks in the road that are maybe different from what girls face," Ramey said. The latest research looked only at results on cognitive measures; other research into the Abecedarian participants found long-lasting positive outcomes in other areas, such as health and social development. What the Abecedarian Project showed, Ramey says, is that at-risk children don't have to enter the education system already further behind. "We can change that and we can change it much more dramatically with much bigger and with longer-lasting results than anyone would have bet 30 years ago," he said. "In part that's due to a lot of our findings, and I'm proud of that." But few, if any, programs have been able to successfully bridge that gender gap in long-term results. And now, many efforts to figure out how to support Black boys - or young Black children in general - are on the chopping block, as the Trump administration shuts down federal funding for research related to promoting educational equity. Related: Sending your boy to preschool is great for your grandson, new research shows Brian Wright, an associate professor and program coordinator for early education at the University of Memphis, said he has already had one research project canceled as a result of the Trump administration's sweeping elimination of federal grants and programs. That project, which would have been funded by the National Science Foundation, was to be a longitudinal study following kindergarteners through third grade to better understand, through a racial equity lens, their access and participation in STEM classes. In late April, the Trump administration told the National Science Foundation to stop awarding new grants and funding existing ones. In fact, few - if any - programs today provide low-income children of color with the level of support that the Abecedarian Project did. "I've been from the West Coast to the East Coast, I've interviewed teachers and families and children all over the nation," said Wright. "I get asked often this question of can I identify programs that are exemplars. I'm usually not able to do that." Wright's research has illuminated which elements are essential for such high-quality early education programs, starting with educators who have deep training in elevating and celebrating the culture, race and traditions of students of color, who create spaces for them to play, enjoy childhood and feel understood, and whose class libraries and lessons reflect students' own experiences and realities. Related: Behind the findings of the Tennessee pre-K study that found negative effects for graduates And for Black boys in particular, Wright said, these elements need to be paired with programs later in middle school and high school that preserve their childhood instead of rushing them through adolescence to prepare them for adulthood and the workforce. The question, however, is how much more of that work can be done under the current administration. Earlier this month, Wright and other policy experts and practitioners who focus on building high-quality education programs for students of color hosted a panel discussion at George Washington University to sound the alarm on the fact that not only is there a dearth of programs equipped to support Black boys, but federal officials are actively eliminating the best of those programs' practices. "There are pockets where these things exist, but there's certainly more work that needs to be done," Wright says. "The fact that we can't name programs that are exemplars is telling that we have a lot of work to do." This story about Black boys was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter. The post Five-decade study: Black girls build on preschool success, while Black boys struggle in some measures appeared first on The Hechinger Report.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
South Carolina football vs Virginia Tech kickoff time announced for 2025 season opener
COLUMBIA — South Carolina football's season opener against Virginia Tech will kickoff at 3 p.m. ET on Aug. 31. The kickoff time for the neutral site game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta will be televised by ESPN. Advertisement This is the first game time announcement for the 2025 season for the Gamecocks, who finished 9-4 in 2024 and ended the season with a loss to Illinois in the Citrus Bowl. Coach Shane Beamer will start his fifth season with South Carolina against an opponent whose program history he knows well. Beamer went to Virginia Tech and played as a walk-on under his father, Frank Beamer who was a legendary coach for the Hokies from 1987 to 2015. At his alma matter, he won a school-record 238 games in 29 seasons. In 2011, after serving as an assistant coach for Steve Spurrier at South Carolina, Beamer joined his father at Virginia Tech as the running backs coach. He was there until his dad retired after the 2015 season. Advertisement NCAA: South Carolina's Shane Beamer frustrated NCAA hasn't ruled on Rahsul Faison's eligibility Beamer is 29-22 overall and 15-17 in conference play in four seasons. He returns star quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who had a breakout season as a starter. Sellers finished 196-of-299 passing for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns in addition 674 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. The program however lost five defensive players in the 2025 NFL Draft and had eight others sign free-agent contracts. Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@ and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina football vs Virginia Tech kickoff time, TV for 2025 opener
