Bed Bugs: The Pest of the Ages
Bed bugs are a huge problem; you only have to look at all the negative media in the news right now. If you visit a hotel on vacation there is always a chance there could be bedbugs and you have to check before settling in. This is not a new problem however; it is a fact bed bugs have been a problem for many thousands of years!
Bed Bug fossils have even been found in 4,000 year old sites in Egypt; early Egyptian society was pestered terribly with bedbug problems. The presence of these pesky bugs was well-documented in both the 17th and 18th centuries in the colonies of the “New World”. It is suggested that these bugs were not in fact native to North America and were brought here by the early settlers from European countries.
Fully grown bed bugs are tiny, less than 1/4 inches long and they hide very easily in suitcases, clothing, and especially bedding. Bedbugs stay to take advantage of easy access to blood meals as well as the warm comfortable environment we create in our homes. People have tried many crazy and desperate ways of trying to prevent bed bugs in their beds. In one example was the so called “Etiquette of Sleeping” where the bed itself and any bedding needed to be kept about a foot away from any walls and the bedding was not allowed anywhere near the floor, then the legs of the bed sat in tin cans full of kerosene… can we say FIRE HAZARD among other dangerous things!
It was clear after the 1940’s that bedbugs can evolve resistances to chemicals, first evidenced by the now banned use of DDT and then to other pesticides developed over time. The pests evolved into similar and even sometimes unique forms and genetically speaking diversified into more robust aggravations. Despite all of the techniques that have been tried over thousands of years, bed bug populations have started to return since the 1990s. Currently it has been suggested that we are on the verge of a bed bug pandemic in not only the US, but also throughout the world, with pest issues for both homes and businesses on the rise.
Since bed bugs are so small, it can often be hard to find evidence of a problem. If you think you have a bed bug problem, give Live Oak Pest Control a call at (386) 362-3887 and we’ll send out a trained specialist. Don’t hesitate, small problems can quickly escalate with these pesky little bugs.
