For a while, bed bugs felt like a relic of a bygone era, a pest that was successfully eradicated thanks to pesticides like DDT. Like many pests, however, they lived up to their name and found a way to persist, emerging again in the 1990s and rapidly increasing in 2004.
And with the recent outbreak in Paris, there is reasonable concern about what this resurgence could mean. Take a closer look at why bed bugs are a growing problem in the U.S. and what can be done to stop these pesky bugs in their tracks.
Building Resistance to Pesticides
Life finds a way, and for bed bugs, this way was to circumvent pesticides by better resisting them throughout time. It doesn’t help that many pesticides that initially dealt with bed bugs were found to be harmful to the environment and public health and received a worldwide ban in 2001.
As time marched forward, the constant exposure to these chemicals strengthened their armor against them, and the bugs developed a resistance to these pesticides. This resistance, in combination with people no longer having the ability to apply those pesticides, is one of many reasons bed bugs are back in full force.
Designed for Survival
Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to deal with by design. These bugs are hardy and able to withstand extreme heat and cold. Not only that, but they can also live up to a year without feeding.
But probably the biggest reason they’re so good at surviving is the speed at which they reproduce. Females can lay up to 500 eggs every few months; that’s daunting math if you think about how many females there already are and multiply them exponentially.
A lack of public awareness of these bed bug traits and how to recognize an infestation has also contributed to their resurgence.
International Immigration and Travel
Bed bugs love traveling to new destinations by hitching a ride on clothing or luggage. And since it’s never been easier to travel to new vistas, that travel has certainly contributed to the recent resurgence of bed bugs.
It’s also why many people hear about bed bugs being such a problem in Airbnbs and even some hotels; the more people travel, the higher the likelihood that bed bugs can be introduced into the environment to wreak havoc. Add in that cities are becoming even more densely populated, and it’s a perfect storm for a bed bug resurgence.
Efforts to Handle the Situation
With these changes to the fight against bed bugs in mind, what is the pest control industry doing to manage the situation effectively? Although these bugs can deal with extreme heat and cold, using different heat treatments and freezing have been proven ways to kill bed bugs without harming the environment.
These methods haven’t been shown to produce many health risks. That’s a good sign for the future fight against the spread of bed bugs and the need to maintain the health of our planet.
Will the Bed Bug Resurgence Continue?
It’s not easy to say how exactly the situation will unfold in the future. On the one hand, these alternatives to chemical pesticides work well enough to expect the bed bug problem to get under control.
But many scientists suggest that bed bug infestations haven’t reached their peak, so it could be too early to celebrate. Instead, staying aware of new solutions and learning about these frustrating pests is essential.
Another issue is that many of the effective green options are much too expensive for those in low-income communities. Yet while it’s becoming expensive to manage bed bugs, it’s equally costly not to manage them.
What Can You Do?
Fortunately, bedding technology can effectively mitigate the chances of bed bugs in your home. Mattresses that are resistant to bed bugs are excellent for high-traffic or intensive-use settings where an outbreak might be more likely.
Staying up to date on current efforts to control bed bugs and learning how to recognize signs of an infestation is also key. Until science finds a way to eradicate these bugs for good, the mattress industry and others will continue to search for new ways to protect people from these inconvenient and frustrating pests.
ESS Universal manufactures and supplies high-quality, cost-effective commercial grade beds, mattresses, and furniture to camps, hostels, shelters, dorms and more. View our entire line of furniture products including our popular waterproof foam mattress for institutional use, single metal bed frames, single over single bunk beds, single over double bunk beds, and triple bunk beds. Download our catalog for detailed information on our complete product line.
