By Alvin Alexander. Last updated: December 14, 2023
After learning that the Sage Hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico has bed bugs in 2023, I’ve been trying to learn more about them. I asked ChatGPT how long bed bugs have been around, and it provided this answer (which I edited a little bit for brevity and clarity):
Bed bugs have been around for a very long time, with evidence suggesting they have been associated with humans for thousands of years ... Historical records indicate that bed bugs were present in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. They have been mentioned in ancient writings, including early medical texts. Bed bugs became more widespread in Europe during the 17th century and reached their peak infestation levels in the 18th and 19th centuries.