In 1834, the British Royal Navy ship, the Chanticleer, was dealing with a terrible cockroach infestation. The ship's surgeon, however, wrote enthusiastically about the stowaways, describing them as a “most valuable insect.” Their shining characteristic? Devouring every bedbug on board.1834年，英国皇家海军舰艇“雄鸡号”（Chanticleer）遭遇了严重的蟑螂侵扰。然而，船上的外科医生却热情洋溢地描述了这些偷渡者，称它们是“最珍贵的昆虫”。它们的闪光点是什么？吞噬船上的每一只臭虫。

Bedbugs have tormented humans for millennia, so detested that their mere mention can make hearts race and arms itch. So why are these unwelcomed houseguests so difficult to defeat?臭虫折磨人类已有数千年，令人厌恶至极，以至于只要一提起它们，就会让人心跳加速、手臂发痒。那么，为什么这些不受欢迎的“客人”如此难以消灭呢？

There are approximately 100 species of bedbugs. Thankfully, only three feed on humans, all of which are chestnut brown, half a centimeter long, and incredibly flat— as long as they haven’t eaten recently.臭虫大约有100种。值得庆幸的是，只有三种以人为食，它们都是栗褐色的，半厘米长，而且非常扁平——前提是它们最近没有进食。

To find their next blood meal, bedbugs follow the biological signals our bodies release, such as carbon dioxide, odor, and body heat. Once located, they use their straw-like mouthparts to inject a cocktail of proteins that dilate blood vessels for easier feeding, along with an anesthetic to block any pain that might give them away. These compounds and other foreign proteins are what can trigger our immune response. While some people’s bodies don’t react to these bites, others develop itchy, red lesions that can stick around for several weeks. And these bites can appear anywhere on the body— it’s a myth that they always appear in neat rows or sets of three.为了找到下一顿血餐，臭虫会追踪我们身体释放的生物信号，例如二氧化碳、气味和体温。一旦找到位置，它们就会用类似吸管的口器注入一种混合蛋白质，扩张血管以便更容易吸血，同时还会注入麻醉剂来阻止任何可能暴露它们的疼痛。这些化合物和其他外来蛋白质能够触发我们的免疫反应。有些人的身体对这些叮咬没有反应，而另一些人则会出现发痒的红色病变，这些病变可能会持续数周。而且这些叮咬可能出现在身体的任何部位——它们总是成排或三个一组出现的说法是错误的。

While they're not considered social insects like bees or ants, bedbugs cooperate in fascinating ways. They huddle together in piles, called refugia, stacking their flat bodies within wall cracks or furniture, which is thought to help them preserve precious moisture and energy reserves. They release chemical signals, known as pheromones, to alert each other to threats. And their feces are rich in volatile compounds that help guide feeding bedbugs back to the safety of the refugia in the dark.虽然臭虫不像蜜蜂或蚂蚁那样被认为是社会性昆虫，但它们的合作方式却令人着迷。它们会挤在一起，形成一堆被称为“避难所”的群体，将扁平的身体塞进墙壁缝隙或家具里，这被认为有助于它们保存宝贵的水分和能量储备。它们会释放化学信号，即所谓的信息素，来提醒彼此注意威胁。它们的粪便富含挥发性化合物，有助于引导正在进食的臭虫回到黑暗中安全的避难所。

Once a colony is established, it has tremendous staying power. Bedbugs can go weeks or months without a meal.一旦建立了虫群，它们就会拥有强大的生存能力。臭虫可以几周甚至几个月不进食。