Throughout recorded history, bed bugs have plagued mankind. The worst epidemics have come in the last hundred years, though, with these biting pests only now hitting their peak.

Some perspective on the history of bed bugs:

1500 BC: The oldest known fossils of bed bugs existed at this time.

386 BC: Ancient Greek plays by Aristophanes first mention bed bugs in writing.

77 AD: Roman philosopher Pliny writes about using bed bugs for medicinal purposes, similar to leeching.

600 AD: Bed bugs spread to China. However, they are not yet common throughout all of Europe.

1600: England gets bed bugs. Pilgrims immediately bring them to the Americas.

1900: Virtually every US home sees bed bugs at some point, and about one third of households endure an infestation.

1950: The phrase “don’t let the bed bugs bite” gets added to the expression, “good night, sleep tight.”

1950s: People discover that the powerful insecticide DDT works wonders for killing bed bugs. Unfortunately, it turned out DDT is too dangerous to be an effective solution.

1995: Bed bugs begin making a resurgence, with hotel infestations becoming common.

2010: Epidemics hit New York City and other metropolitan areas, kicking off a new era of widespread infestations.

Don’t become another statistic in the history of bed bugs! Talk to Stern Environmental about safe, advanced bed bug extermination methods.