Newly Published Book Explores History of Bed Bugs

Science journalist Brooke Borel has penned “Infested: How the Bed Bug Infiltrated Our Bedrooms and Took Over the World,” a look at the biological and cultural histories of these amazingly adaptive insects, and the myriad ways in which humans have responded to them.

In Infested, Borel introduces readers to the biological and cultural histories of these amazingly adaptive insects, and the myriad ways in which humans have responded to them. She travels to meet with scientists who are rearing bed bug colonies—even by feeding them with their own blood (ouch!)—and to the stages of musicals performed in honor of the pests. She explores the history of bed bugs and their apparent disappearance in the 1950s after the introduction of DDT, charting how current infestations have flourished in direct response to human chemical use as well as the ease of global travel. She also introduces us to the economics of bed bug infestations, from hotels to homes to office buildings, and the expansive industry that has arisen to combat them.

The book was published by The University of Chicago Press Books and more information is available at http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/I/bo15625057.html. The book also can be ordered from Amazon.com.