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Indian Express
20 hours ago
- Science
- Indian Express
Bed bugs were likely one of the first pests found in cities, new study finds
Common bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) grew in number when humans started living together in the first cities. These tiny bloodsuckers were likely the first insect pests to thrive in city environments, and maybe even the first urban pests, according to a new study by scientists at Virginia Tech, United States, that was published in Biology Letters on May 28. Bed bugs originally fed on bats. But around 245,000 years ago, one group of bedbugs started feeding on humans, likely beginning with Neanderthals. About a year ago, Lindsay Miles from Virginia Tech began studying bedbug genetic data to see how their populations changed over time. Bedbug numbers dropped around 19,000 years ago, when the Ice Age ended and habitats changed. Both types of bedbugs did decline, but the ones that fed on humans increased sharply some 13,000 years ago, stayed steady for a while, and then rose again 7,000 years ago. In comparison, the population of bedbugs that feed on bats are still decreasing. The big change from fewer to more bedbugs happened around the same time the first cities appeared in western Asia and started to grow, as per the study. Before that, people moved around a lot and didn't often meet other groups, so bedbugs didn't spread much either. But once people began living together in cities, it created a new environment for bedbugs. The study states that the bugs started mating with each other more, their numbers grew quickly, and they adapted to life in cities. The researchers also hypothesised that bed bugs were one of the first pests to adjust to city life and were likely the first insect pests to live in urban areas. Other animals became connected to city life much later. German cockroaches, for instance, started living closely with humans around 2,100 years ago, and black rats around 5,000 years ago. Mark Ravinet, an evolutionary biologist from the University of Oslo in Norway, who said that these findings showed that bedbugs can help scientists learn how species adapt to live with humans. He said the study was important for understanding how quickly animals can adjust to human environments and what changes they make in order to survive.
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
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.
The Independent
4 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Scientists identify key shift that led to huge rise in bedbugs
Bedbugs may have been interrupting human sleep for more than 50,000 years, but it was only when humans left caves and formed the first cities that their populations really boomed, according to a new study. The research, published in science journal Biology Letters, looked at the genetics of bedbugs and found that they split into two lineages thousands of years ago – one that stayed on bats, and one that targeted humans. By the Ice Age both populations were in general decline, with the bat-associated lineage never bouncing back, but the urban bedbugs recovered and began to thrive as human settlements expanded into cities. As humans built early cities, such as Mesopotamia, around 12,000 years ago and their populations started to boom, so too did the populations of the tiny parasitic insects feasting on human skin – making the species one of the first human pests. 'That makes sense because modern humans moved out of caves about 60,000 years ago,' said Warren Booth, the Joseph R. and Mary W. Wilson Urban Entomology associate professor. "There were bedbugs living in the caves with these humans, and when they moved out they took a subset of the population with them so there's less genetic diversity in that human-associated lineage." "What will be interesting is to look at what's happening in the last 100 to 120 years," Prof Booth told science website "Bed bugs were pretty common in the old world, but once DDT [dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane] was introduced for pest control, populations crashed. They were thought to have been essentially eradicated, but within five years they started reappearing and were resisting the pesticide." Bedbug infestations saw a dramatic 35 per cent jump between 2022 and 2024, while cockroach removal visits rose by 13 per cent over the same period.
The Independent
5 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Bedbug numbers soared when humans left caves and moved to cities, scientists find
Bedbugs may have been interrupting human sleep for more than 50,000 years, but it was only when humans left caves and formed the first cities that their populations really boomed, according to a new study. The research, published in science journal Biology Letters, looked at the genetics of bedbugs and found that they split into two lineages thousands of years ago – one that stayed on bats, and one that targeted humans. By the Ice Age both populations were in general decline, with the bat-associated lineage never bouncing back, but the urban bedbugs recovered and began to thrive as human settlements expanded into cities. As humans built early cities, such as Mesopotamia, around 12,000 years ago and their populations started to boom, so too did the populations of the tiny parasitic insects feasting on human skin – making the species one of the first human pests. 'That makes sense because modern humans moved out of caves about 60,000 years ago,' said Warren Booth, the Joseph R. and Mary W. Wilson Urban Entomology associate professor. "There were bedbugs living in the caves with these humans, and when they moved out they took a subset of the population with them so there's less genetic diversity in that human-associated lineage." "What will be interesting is to look at what's happening in the last 100 to 120 years," Prof Booth told science website "Bed bugs were pretty common in the old world, but once DDT [dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane] was introduced for pest control, populations crashed. They were thought to have been essentially eradicated, but within five years they started reappearing and were resisting the pesticide." Bedbug infestations saw a dramatic 35 per cent jump between 2022 and 2024, while cockroach removal visits rose by 13 per cent over the same period.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bed bugs have been bothering humans for 60,000 years
We humans might be the Earth's apex predator, but it's bugs that really rule the world. At least 5 million insect species live on our planet and some of them like to take up residence right alongside us. That includes bed bugs (Cimex lectularius). These pesky bugs have been thriving off of our blood for at least 60,000 years ago and may be considered our first 'pest.' According to a comparison of two recently sequenced whole genomes of two genetically distinct lineages of bed bugs, the human-associated lineage follows a similar movement pattern as our species and might be the first true urban pest. The findings are detailed in a study published May 28 in the journal Biology Letters. The theory goes that about 60,000 years ago, a few intrepid bed bugs hopped off of a bat and clung to a Neanderthal walking out of a cave. The bugs from that lineage decided to see what tasty morsels our bipedal cousins could offer, while the other lineage stuck to bats. The decision to stick around with the hominids proved lucrative. They've been thriving ever since. However, the less adventurous bat-living bed bugs have seen their populations decline since the Last Glacial Maximum–aka ice age–about 20,000 years ago. This new study looked into the long lineage of these distinct bed bug populations. The two lineages have genetic differences, yet not enough to have evolved into two distinct species. Understanding the historical and evolutionary relationship between humans and bed bugs can help inform models that predict the spread of bugs and diseases as urban populations increase. 'We wanted to look at changes in effective population size, which is the number of breeding individuals that are contributing to the next generation, because that can tell you what's been happening in their past,' study co-author and Virginia Tech entomologist Lindsay Miles said in a statement. Tying human expansion around the world to the emergence and evolution of urban pests like bed bugs can also help pinpoint the traits that co-evolved in both species. 'Initially with both populations, we saw a general decline that is consistent with the Last Glacial Maximum; the bat-associated lineage never bounced back, and it is still decreasing in size,' said Miles. 'The really exciting part is that the human-associated lineage did recover and their effective population increased.' One of the instances includes early establishment of large human settlements that expanded into cities such as Mesopotamia roughly 12,000 years ago. 'That makes sense because modern humans moved out of caves about 60,000 years ago,' added study co-author and Virginia Tech entomologist Warren Booth. 'There were bed bugs living in the caves with these humans, and when they moved out they took a subset of the population with them so there's less genetic diversity in that human-associated lineage.' As the human population increased and living in communities and cities expanded, the human-associated lineage of bed bugs experienced an exponential growth in their effective population size. [ Related: What head lice can tell us about human migration. ] With the whole genome data in this study, the researchers now have a foundation for further study of this 245,000 year old lineage split in the bugs. The team is interested in focusing on the evolutionary changes of the human-associated lineage compared with the bat-associated lineage that have taken place more recently. 'What will be interesting is to look at what's happening in the last 100 to 120 years,' said Booth. 'Bed bugs were pretty common in the old world, but once DDT [dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane] was introduced for pest control, populations crashed. They were thought to have been essentially eradicated, but within five years they started reappearing and were resisting the pesticide.' The team has already found a gene mutation that could contribute to that insecticide resistance they found in a separate study published in March that they will continue to examine for more clues. Understanding how that gene works could lead to solutions to handle these notoriously difficult to get rid of bugs.
