Scientists identify key shift that led to huge rise in bedbugs
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Bedbugs have been bothering humans since caveman times, study finds
- A new study suggests bedbugs may have been bothering humans for about 60,000 years, with their populations booming as people formed the first cities.
- The research, published in Biology Letters, examined bedbug genetics and found two lineages: one that stayed on bats and one that targeted humans.
- As humans built early cities like Mesopotamia around 12,000 years ago, bedbug populations thrived, making them one of the first human pests.
- Professor Warren Booth notes that humans likely carried bedbugs from caves when they moved out around 60,000 years ago, resulting in less genetic diversity in the human-associated lineage.
- Bedbug infestations saw a dramatic 35 per cent increase between 2022 and 2024, highlighting their resurgence after near-eradication due to the chemical DDT.