A Little Bed Bug History

A Little Bed Bug History

It can be hard to imagine that a small insect such as the bed bug can create the large problems that they do for humans. Bed bugs are a parasitic insect with oval shaped bodies that are flat (before a blood meal) and are comparable to an apple seed in size and thankfully, bed bugs do not fly.

Bed bug history has be dated back to Ancient Rome, where they were spreading throughout Asia and Europe causing issues for people.  It has been noted that England first began to start reporting this unfavorable insect in the 1500’s but it was during the 18th Century that bed bugs found their way to America by ships that were arriving from Europe.  As we know, bed bugs are great travelers and continued to spread across America. By the 20th Century, most Americans were familiar with bed bugs and likely had experienced bites.  During this time is when the use of pesticides came into play and because of the strong pesticide use and lack of regulation, there was a major decrease in bed bugs in America.

It wasn’t until about the 1990’s that the bed bug population began to make a comeback. And they have made a strong comeback for a number of reasons. Today, bed bugs are a difficult pest to treat and over the counter (do it yourself) products just don’t cut it and can actually make the problem worse.  Now, pesticides are strictly regulated; the process for treating and the product/chemicals have changed. Another thing that has helped bed bugs continue to spread is how common it is now for people to travel internationally.  It’s so easy for a bed bug to be picked up in a hotel and travel on the plane ride home with you.

If you think you experiencing bed bugs or have any questions regarding G&H Bed Bug treatments, please call our office 208-471-8787

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