Bed Bug Infestation Has Reached Epidemic Proportions

Why Bed Bugs Are on the Rise

Bed bugs are becoming more and more of a problem in big cities. They can infest new buildings at the same rate as older buildings. Bed bugs are tough to treat, and there are several factors that cause a rise in this parasite population.

Travel

It’s getting easier and faster to travel anywhere in the world. At the same time, bed bugs can easily hitch a ride on luggage and people and travel with you to a new location. This allows hotels to be a primary site of infestation, regardless of how many stars the hotel has. Large cities that have a lot of visitors for tourism and events have the largest amount of bed bug reports.

Fewer Pesticides

Several pesticides, such as DDT, that were used to treat bed bugs are harmful to human health. The pesticides were banned, and this helped the bed bug populations grow. Pest control groups have had to look for alternative control methods.

Bed Bug Genetics

Bed bugs can reproduce by inbreeding with close relatives. Inbreeding usually results in deadly genetic defects, but unfortunately bed bugs seem to be resistant to any genetic problems. It also takes just one fertilized female to enter the premises and lay her eggs for an infestation to start.

Strong Parasitic Traits for Survival

Bed bugs have developed traits to survive. They are mostly nocturnal and come out to feed while we sleep. In most cases, we don’t even know we’ve been bitten and they are feeding off us. They are tiny and can hide easily. They are dark brown in colour, which allows them to blend in more easily with the environment. They have a hard exoskeleton, which is resistant to crushing. They have adapted to hook easily to materials and climb up structures.