> By the 1940s this age-old parasite was mostly eradicated from homes and hotels in the developing world. But around 1995, the bedbug tides again turned. Infest

> By the 1940s this age-old parasite was mostly eradicated from homes and hotels in the developing world. But around 1995, the bedbug tides again turned. Infestations began flaring up with a vengeance. Pest managers and scientists aren’t sure what happened, exactly, but it may have been a combination of people traveling more and thus increasing their chances of encountering bedbugs in run down motels or infested apartments; of bedbugs bolstering their resistance to common pesticides; and of people simply letting their guard down against the now unfamiliar parasites. I can’t help thinking that the housing crisis may have contributed to this. I can’t speak for the US, but in the UK rental apartments are not maintained and people are systematically evicted for asking repairs. Mattresses are used by tenant after tenant, with some Airbnb in the middle. People often are not allowed to replace mattresses and landlords can’t bother. Carpet stays there for generations, usually covered with another carpet when it becomes a health hazard.