As the bed bug (Cimex lectularius) has re-emerged as a common household pest in recent years, boric acid has been a common tool used by pest management professionals and homeowners alike to try to control it. But, a new study in the Journal of Economic Entomology shows that the route of contact makes a difference: Simple external exposure to boric acid (such as in a dust application) is minimally effective against bed bugs, but bed bugs that ingest boric acid die swiftly. (Photo credit: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org)