Bedbugs. There are few insects that can make you feel as itchy, dirty, and wary of sleeping as bedbugs. Just the idea of a bedbug infestation is enough to make one shiver in fear and disgust. Although the little critters were thought to be long gone, a thing of the past, they shocked the world by making a sudden and widespread reappearance just a few years ago. Where did they come from and why did they suddenly decide to infest our hotels, stores, and homes?
Where did Bedbugs Come From Originally?
Bedbugs have been around for a long time. It is believed that they originated in the tropics, but quickly adapted to more temperate climates and quickly spread around the world. Documentation of the creepy crawlies can be found as far back as the 1st century AD when it was thought that they had medicinal properties. That theory was probably thrown out pretty quickly, but bedbugs were prevalent all over the world until World War II.
The 1940s introduced pesticides to the United States and their heavy handed use was common well into the ‘60s. Because DDT was sprayed indiscriminately throughout houses – on carpets, in beds, and on furniture – bedbugs were almost entirely wiped out. In fact, experts believed for many years that bedbugs were completely eradicated from the US. We now know that a few managed to survive.
Once DDT was banned for environmental and health reasons, insecticides became more specialized. Instead of spraying toxic chemicals everywhere and wiping out both good and bad bugs, people began to spray chemicals specifically designed to kill one or two types of pests only in the places where those pests reside. None of these pest control methods targeted bedbugs, which have actually started to develop a resistance to modern day insecticides. This combined with the bedbugs’ ability to mate even with close family members and go up to a year without food caused the bedbug population in the US to grow dramatically.
How did Bedbugs Get in Your House?
Bedbugs do not fly. They do not swim. They do not crawl that far. So how do they travel? In suitcases, clothing, boxes, and bags. Bedbugs are excellent hitchhikers, or rather stowaways, since most people have no idea that they are carrying the pests.
The spread of bedbugs has been aided by the increase in domestic and international travel over the past couple of decades. Hotels are now infamous breeding grounds for the little critters. The most common way for bedbugs to get in your house is to come back with you from your vacation or work trip. They might also jump into your bag while shopping or seeing a movie.
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