Why were bed bugs a problem today, but not 50 years ago?

Reasonable question: why are bed bugs a problem today? Are we not in the modern era? Surely modern science could get rid of these hideous bloodsuckers!

Well, not so fast! The reason they are a problem today is BECAUSE of modern science. Yes, counterintuitive, sure, but it’s the truth. The same scientific advances that nearly wiped out bed bugs in the 1950s are why they are such a problem today.

Here’s some history:

Bed bugs have been a problem throughout the age of mankind. These parasites love to feed on human blood, but attach to other mammals in a hurry. Once fed whole blood, these little suckers can live for more than a year between meals. Yes, more than a year without eating!

During World War II, out of necessity, some massive scientific discoveries were made. More lethal poisons were created, including some important nerve gases. After the war, these inventions were not to be wasted and a chemical revolution was brought to the masses. The perfect example was DDT, the pesticide announced to change the world. And it changed the world, it did!

In fact, DDT won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for being the newest, latest, and best option for fighting malaria, typhus, and eliminating crop pests. Colorless, odorless, and tasteless, DDT was used everywhere almost overnight.

One of the main uses of DDT was to control bed bugs. They practically disappeared and the night rhyme became obsolete. (Night, night, sleep well, don’t let the bed bugs bite!)

Then everything fell apart when reality hit. DDT was poisoning the Earth! The species were pushed to the brink of extinction. All environmental disasters were related to DDT like the Science Mad Kid Poster!

We had moved to a pest-free standard of living and the chemical manufacturers were not going to back down. Therefore, more and more synthetic pesticides were developed. Pyrethroids, neocotinoids, organophosphates, etc. emerged to replace DDT. But there is an important catch …

Any synthetic pesticide will ALWAYS lose effectiveness over time. (Scientific phenomenon known as Resistance to pesticides). The solution for chemical companies? Make them stronger, more deadly, more persistent, more toxic.

Therefore, increasingly strong chemicals have been used to maintain the established level of control. However, bugs will always triumph over a synthetic concoction. Humans are exposed to higher levels of toxicity and bugs have transformed into ‘super bugs’ capable of withstanding formulations unheard of only 15 years ago.

That is why bed bugs are such a problem today. They are immune to synthetic poisons, regardless of strength. However, the effect of these toxins on humans is devastating: it increases the rates of Alzheimer’s, autism, ADHD, and many other neurotoxic diseases.

Short answer: bed bugs are a problem because they are immune to synthetic poisons designed to control them.

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