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→History: moere info
==History==
==History==
Bedbugs have been plaguing humans since ancient times. They are mentioned in medieval European texts and in classical Greek writings back to the time of Aristotle. Use of the pesticide DDT in the 1950s and its successors resulted in the virtual disappearance of bedbugs overall in the United States. Some state laws once required that the furniture be tagged as fumigated before it could be resold.
Bedbugs have been plaguing humans since ancient times, with the latest resurgence beginning in the late 1990's. Fossilized bed bugs have been unearthed from archeological digs have unearthed fossilized bed bugs dating back more than 3,500 years. Bed bugs spread throughout Europe and Asia, reaching Italy by 100 A.D., China by 600 A.D., and Germany and France in the 1200s and 1400s, and are mentioned in medieval European texts and in classical Greek writings back to the time of Aristotle. The earliest record of bedbugs in England is that of 1583 where they would become referred to simply to as “bugs.” Migrating with European explorers to America, infestations first arose in busy seaport towns, while appearing farther inland later on, a pattern that would be repeated in the late 1990s, with the reports of infestations first coming from such cities as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami. <ref>http://www.pctonline.com/Article.aspx?article_id=37608</ref>
In the 1800's, bedbugs were a significant pest in parts of both the ][United States]] and the [[United Kingdom]]. Government Entomologist Dr. Riley, PhD, described the ubiquity of bed bugs in 1889:
{{cquote|I have occasionally met with a favored individual who had never seen a bed bug; but such fortunate people are rare and there are very few housekeepers who have not, by accident perhaps, or through slovenly servants, made the intimate acquaintance of the ubiquitous pest…. It’s odor and the effects of its bites are universally known, and the word “bed buggy” has entered our literature as descriptive of a particular class of odors.}}
In the 1930s there were large sections of London where every house was infested, resulting in an investigation by the Ministry of Health and the Public Health Act of 1936 which required councils to take action. Toxic fumigation using sulfur dioxide (sulfur candles) or hydrogen cyanide, are reported to have helped reduce infestations by up to 80%, with DDT later becoming the primary insecticide. Declining numbers overall continued from the late 30s through 1980s until the recent resurgence.<ref>Chris Hebbern,''All about bed bugs'', Skeptic North., Sept. 2, 2010</ref>
Diligence and use of the pesticide DDT in the 1950s and broadbased pesticides also resulted in the virtual disappearance of bedbugs overall in the United States. Some state laws once required that the furniture be tagged as fumigated before it could be resold.
In the year 2000 reported infestations of bedbugs began a dramatic increase, the prime causes of which are yet debated. Social aspects such as increased travel immigration and population density, clutter, etc. have all been blamed, as well as changing pest control products and methods and the development of strains of bedbugs that are resistant to insecticides. As regards the latter, one theory for the cause of bedbug resurgence postulates that use of DDT and its successors ([[DDT ban|DDT was banned]], effective Jan 1, 1973) on household pests such as the German [[cockroach]] also killed bedbugs before they became established in a home. After roaches developed resistance to every insecticide used,{{fact}} hydramethylnon bait was introduced in the early 1980s, which provided superior effectiveness. This resulted in a switch from spraying and dusting and baseboard treatment which also controlled bedbug populations, to the use of baits and Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) in the early 1990s. In addition, besides DDT, many more pesticides, including broad spectrum residual chemicals, were banned or heavily restricted in the United States during the past few decades, and many developing countries have also banned many powerful pesticides, due to the danger of harmful effects to humans.
In the year 2000 reported infestations of bedbugs began a dramatic increase, the prime causes of which are yet debated. Social aspects such as increased travel immigration and population density, clutter, etc. have all been blamed, as well as changing pest control products and methods and the development of strains of bedbugs that are resistant to insecticides. As regards the latter, one theory for the cause of bedbug resurgence postulates that use of DDT and its successors ([[DDT ban|DDT was banned]], effective Jan 1, 1973) on household pests such as the German [[cockroach]] also killed bedbugs before they became established in a home. After roaches developed resistance to every insecticide used,{{fact}} hydramethylnon bait was introduced in the early 1980s, which provided superior effectiveness. This resulted in a switch from spraying and dusting and baseboard treatment which also controlled bedbug populations, to the use of baits and Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) in the early 1990s. In addition, besides DDT, many more pesticides, including broad spectrum residual chemicals, were banned or heavily restricted in the United States during the past few decades, and many developing countries have also banned many powerful pesticides, due to the danger of harmful effects to humans.
<ref>http://waronbedbugs.blogspot.com/2007/03/tracing-cause-of-bedbug-epidemic.html</ref>
<ref>http://waronbedbugs.blogspot.com/2007/03/tracing-cause-of-bedbug-epidemic.html</ref>
The University of [[Kentucky]], which has provided much research on bedbugs, reported that 95% of 521 U.S. pest management companies reported encountering a bedbug infestation in the past year. <ref>Potter MF, et al. ''Bugs Without Borders—Executive Summary'', Fairfax, VA:National Pest Management Association, Inc. (2010)</ref>. <ref>http://www.npmapestworld.org/documents/bbsurveyexecsummaryjuly26.pdf</ref> Canada reported similar numbers (98%), as well as Europe (92%), and Africa/Middle East (90%). In contrast, prior to the year 2000 only 25% of U.S. survey respondents reported bedbug infestations.<ref>[http://www.pestworld.org/bedbug National Pest Management Association (NPMA), July 26, 2010]</ref> In the United States, state and local government officials say they are being overwhelmed with complaints of bedbug infestations.
The University of [[Kentucky]], which has provided much research on bedbugs, and the United States' National Pest Management Association reported that 95% of 521 U.S. pest management companies reported encountering a bedbug infestation in the past year. <ref>Potter MF, et al. ''Bugs Without Borders—Executive Summary'', Fairfax, VA:National Pest Management Association, Inc. (2010)</ref>. <ref>http://www.npmapestworld.org/documents/bbsurveyexecsummaryjuly26.pdf</ref> Canada reported similar numbers (98%), as well as Europe (92%), and Africa/Middle East (90%). In contrast, prior to the year 2000 only 25% of U.S. survey respondents reported bedbug infestations. In addition, 76 percent of survey respondents affirmed that bedbugs are the most difficult pest to treat, more so than cockroaches, ants and termites. "The results of the global study suggest that we are on the threshold of a bedbug pandemic, not just in the United States, but around the world," said Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for NPMA. The global survey showed pest control firms in Latin America and Asia where stronger, organophosphate chemicals are permitted.<ref>[http://www.pestworld.org/bedbug National Pest Management Association (NPMA), July 26, 2010]</ref>BBC New Magazine, ''Don't let the bedbugs bite'', 2 September 2010 In the United States, state and local government officials say they are being overwhelmed with complaints of bedbug infestations.
==Life and behavior==
==Life and behavior==