In Brief

Buggy bedfellows

You've probably heard about the return of bed bugs, those small, wingless bloodsucking insects that, as advertised, live around beds and like nothing more than a warmblooded companion to feed on at night.

Explanations for the comeback of Cimex lectularius include increased foreign travel, so bed bugs from overseas have more opportunities to hitch a ride into American homes on luggage and clothes of tourists. More limited use of pesticides may be another factor. "But these are just speculations," says Richard Pollack, a research associate at the Harvard School of Public Health and a bed bug expert. "Only the bedbugs know for sure — and they're not offering an explanation."