💨 Abstract

Stone Age humans faced a significant pest problem: bed bugs. These insects, which initially fed on bats, began to infest human caves around 50,000 years ago. Their population surged about 13,000 years ago when humans started building settlements and farming. This makes bed bugs the earliest known household pests, predating rats and cockroaches. Research from Virginia Tech University confirmed this timeline through DNA analysis.

Courtesy: Sam Blanchard