Recently I attended The Global Bed Bug Summit put on by The National Pest Management Association in Denver. At first I was pretty anxious about going to the conference because until recently I didn't even know that bed bugs were an actual problem. However, when I got to the conference I was able to attend an opening session that really dug into the history of bed bugs, and helped to set a solid foundation for what I was going to the learn throughout the rest of the conference.
I was really surprised to learn that bed bugs are not a recent problem but that bed bug fossils have been found dating back to as long as 3500 years ago. The first report of bed bugs dates back to 1583 in England, and by the 1700’s bed bugs had found their way to America hitching rides on merchant ships.
In the early 20th century the bed bug problem in America had gotten so bad that one-third of homes in some areas were infected and a majority of Americans had either seen a bed bug or been bitten by one. In fact at the time bed bugs were considered one of the top 3 pests living in structures in the country.
I was also surprised to find out that thanks to improving technology bed bugs were almost completely eradicated by the 1950’s. The problem had been contained so efficiently that researchers were actually having a hard time finding live bed bugs for experiments.
Unfortunately, as we are all pretty much aware of now, bed bugs have made a major resurgence over the last 20 years. They first started appearing again in the late 90’s in port cities such as Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. They have continued to spread throughout the country with a recent study, found on pestworld.org, citing that one out of five Americans have had a bed bug infestation in their home, or know someone who has encountered bed bugs.
While there are many theories for why bed bugs have made such a resurgence, some factors include changing pest control practices as well as the increase in use of second hand furniture. Also bed bugs spread quickly by hiding in bags and attaching themselves to clothing.
If you have been traveling or feel you might need bed bug treatment feel free to give Senske a call at 801-944-4007 and talk to one of our expert customer service representatives. They can give you any information you need about bed bugs as well as set up a free estimate to help make sure that bed bugs aren't taking over your home.
Reference: www.pestworld.org
