Bed Bug Infestation Increase by 65% Across UK Linked to Shopping Spree: Experts Warn

Bed bugs are some of the worst insects that can affect people and other mammals on a daily basis. Known for creeping into our beds, other parts of the house, or even in public places, the bugs are hard to kill and can threaten our health even if they cannot kill us directly from their bites.

The so-called "bloodsuckers" are known for moving slowly but can spread like wildfire, thanks to various human activities like migration which involves carrying our belongings where the bugs can reside.

Last week, experts warned that bed bug infestation is growing in the United Kingdom and they linked it to shopping spree involving second-hand furniture and increased post-Covid travel.

Even before the pandemic, reports indicate that bed bugs can be found in almost all continents of Earth, except for Antarctica. The track record of these little critters is known since they are considered as one of the world's most invasive species.

Bed Bug Infestation

(Photo : Photo by Christopher Jolly on Unsplash)

Bed bug infestation in the U.K. has increased by 65% in a year-on-year period due to furniture recycling and travel, according to the pest killer company Rentokil. Some of the skin crawlers are reportedly hiding in furniture before emerging during the night to bite victims who are in their slumber. The bugs, also called as ticks, feast on the blood of humans and even our furry pets, as well as livestock.

The spread of the U.K. bed bugs is hastened by a spike of shopping spree of bug-infected furniture and even electronics and clothing. Furthermore, the resumption of travel following the COVID-19 pandemic also make some unsuspecting passengers to carry the bugs in their luggage while they go from place to place, according to the experts.

Also Read: Study: Bed Bugs Have Favorite Colors, Too!

Where Do Bed Bugs Come From?

The exact origins of bed bugs remain unknown. However, prevailing research suggest that bed bugs came from the Middle East, Europe, or India.

In a study published in the journal Current Biology in 2019, a research team discovered that ticks are older than bats, a nocturnal mammal that scientists had previously thought to be their first host around 50 to 60 million years ago. Yet, the team determined that bed bugs evolved 50 million years earlier.

The researchers asserted bed bugs emerged 115 million years ago, long before their assumed bat hosts. In addition, the insects also did not co-speciate with ancient humans. The findings also suggest that the ancestral hosts, before bats and birds, of bed bugs remain unknown.

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are a species in the Animal Kingdom belonging to the Family Cimicidae. Although they used animals as their hosts before modern humans emerged, Homo sapiens are their primary hosts in contemporary times. Considered "nuisance pests," they are primarily found in tropical regions of the world. Experts believe ticks are unable to survive in extreme environments for a prolonged period.