A Brief History On Bed Bugs
Alana Korol
February 28, 2017
They’re stealthy, creepy, and crawly and love to bite. Bed bugs are way more common than most people like to think. What we know about the history of bed bugs is that they have been around for thousands of years (over 3,000) and date back to ancient Egyptian times. Initially, they inhabited caves and fed off bats. Still, when humans began to inhabit caves, they latched on to a new (and preferred) food source.
Bed bug infestations were first recorded in England in the 1500s, and traveling on ships with European explorers made it to America. As civilization grew and people continued to travel and explore, bed bugs found more places to hide and hitch a ride.
By the early 20th century, bed bugs were everywhere, infesting homes, hotels, and other heavily populated dwellings. They were nearly eradicated in developed countries when DDT was first introduced in the 1950s, but by 1972, the EPA had banned the use of DDT because research had shown that it was harmful to humans and animals.
Why Bed Bugs Are Back
Bed bugs are back for quite a few reasons. The 1990s saw a resurgence of bed bugs as they began popping up in port cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco. As international travel began to grow, bed bugs appeared more often in hotels, motels, apartment dwellings, homes, hospitals, and nursing homes.
This resurgence has led to bed bugs making their way worldwide, reaching epidemic levels in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Africa. The constant use of chemical pesticides has caused bed bugs to evolve with thicker skin and survive long enough to keep reproducing, creating the perfect storm for more and more challenges to get rid of infestations.
The Bed Bug Industry
With bed bugs on the rise and making big headlines globally, an entire industry has grown, from pest management companies that specialize in treating bed bugs to companies producing heating devices and machines specifically designed to kill bed bugs, to specialized bed bug-resistant luggage, mattress encasement, pesticides, and much more, including cities creating bed bug advisory boards.
What You Can Do To Avoid Bed Bugs
Be mindful of when and where you travel. Always take the appropriate steps to check your hotel room, and do not be afraid to ask for a new room in a different wing of the hotel until you make other arrangements. You can also pack a travel-sized bed bug spray to treat your luggage before returning home to ensure you don’t have any stragglers taking advantage of a free trip to your home.
Let us at Bedbug Store assist you. Our products come with a 90-day, 100% satisfaction guarantee. Since 2003, We have been relieving customers of their bed bugs. Our products are also 100% all-natural, chemical, and pesticide-free. The smell you notice when using our solution is the fresh scent of peppermint.