The Swiss army battles its latest foe: bedbugs in dorms

Bed bugs copulate via "traumatic insemnation." It sounds as bad as it is: the male bed bug will simply pierce the female's abdomen with his penis and inject sperm into the wound. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

GENEVA – The Swiss army is working hard to fend off its latest foe: bedbugs.

The defense department said Monday that a parents' day event planned for July 16 is being cancelled because bedbugs have appeared in dormitories and fabrics used by three companies at an infantry training school in several parts of French-speaking Switzerland.

It said no one's health was in danger but "several recruits had bites typical of bedbugs."

Disinfection measures have been taken and specialists have been called in to clean up the sites. The three companies will not travel to Bure, along the French border near northern Basel, for the "Parents Day" celebration on July 16 that has been cancelled to prevent a wider contamination.