A Brief History on Bed Bugs

Alana Korol

February 28, 2017

They’re stealthy, creepy and crawly, and they 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 all the way to ancient Egyptian times. Originally, they inhabited caves and fed off bats, but when humans began to inhabit caves, they latched on to a whole new (and preferred) food source.

Bed bug infestations were first recorded in England in the 1500s, and by 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 use of DDT was banned by the EPA, because research had shown that DDT 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 began appearing more often in hotels, motels, apartment dwellings, homes, hospitals, and nursing homes, for example.

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 harder 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 when and where you are traveling to. 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 Bed Bug Store assist you. All our products come with a 90-day 100% satisfaction guarantee. We have been relieving customers of their bed bug issues for over 15 years. Our products are also 100% all-natural, chemical and pesticide-free. The smell you notice when using our solution, is peppermint.

Safe for children and pets, completely deadly for bed bugs.

Our sprays are made with 100% effective natural ingredients and essentials oils, making Bed Bug Patrol a great alternative to harsh pesticides and insecticides which bed bugs are becoming increasingly resistant to.

Enjoy the safety of knowing your bed bug battle will soon be won by the all-natural power of Bed Bug Patrol.