Collaboration between Texas A&M Center for Urban & Structural Entomology and the University of Arkansas Insect Genetics laboratory is revealing important clues concerning the reasons for the current resurgence of bed bugs around the world and here in the United States. [...]

One scenario that appears to have merit concerns geographic epicenters where bed bugs radiate from. In our preliminary investigations we have found significant populations occurring in poultry facilities in Arkansas and Texas, and we suspect that resistant populations of bed bugs have slowly increased in numbers in facilities such as these, and have subsequently been transported from poultry workers to other areas where they have subsequently spread. Population genetic studies of both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA reveal no genetic bottlenecks, yet significant variation with no apparent geographic structure with 19 distinct mtDNA haplotypes from only 50 populations from throughout the United States (see below). For this reason, we believe that populations never truly died out in the United States, but were forced to alternate their hosts. Ongoing research on host identification from blood meals of bed bugs is currently being investigated to support this hypothesis.

Emphasis added!

More on the genetics research here and on forensics here.

Still thinking about this. Random thought: bedbugs being useful, when did that happen?

I agree–if public health community is in charge, we will suffer long.

On the other hand, since we all rmember life without bed bugs, there is hope that “quality of life” will be enough motivation.

I fear that if the pols get bed bugs in their campaign juggernauts, we’ll hear nothing.

The journalists, however, will talk. The tipping point started to approach last fall, and continues to build. When enough loud, “important,” or influential people get bed bugs, we just have to see change.

I’m thinking (hoping) that there is a way for U.S. cities and other authorities to tackle the bedbug problem in a rational way, to set up task forces and such, without relying on the medical entomology/public health community which will in all likelihood take no initiative and be of no help.

So, will civil rights of the poor or the economic impact on property owners be catalysts?

I am so impatient and sometimes I indulge little fantasies, you know, like will bedbugs make an appearance during the upcoming political season? All those journalists in buses, planes and motels! I’m waiting for something to happen. Anything.

I had ficam in mind too. Winston, would you be willing to tell us more in layman’s terms about Ficam and Empire–why they were outlawed, and how they work?

Nomo,

I agree re: caution with pesticides.

I do hope that (soon) the powers that be will recognize the seriousness of bed bugs absent an “official public health threat”. Or, perhaps. that it will be deemed a “health threat” even though not life-endangering except in cases of extreme allergies (at least one of which, I note, has been a Bedbugger reader). When “important people” and their spouses and children begin to be affected, they may recognize the toll taken via stress, lack of sleep, etc. (not to mention lost time and money, the lack of which, for many, can also have serious health consequences).

Absent a public health threat, or Robert Kennedy himself getting bedbugs, how is this going to happen?

Federal restrictions would be essential. I am afraid of people using pesticides illegally, like they do now, shipping them out of state, not reading the label, etc. I am more afraid of this than of bedbugs, and that is saying a lot.