There have been numerous stories in the news over the last few months regarding the growing plague of bedbugs, even in the best hotels. There has been much made of the fact that bedbugs were mostly eradicated in the developed world in the 1940s, but they have been brought back from the developing world by tourists and business travellers.
The only problem is that they were largely eradicated in the developing world too, until the 1990s. When the world tried to stop using DDT completely.
The world has started using DDT again, in Africa, for malaria control. Perhaps we need to think about it for other things, in a controlled manner.
4 comments
Grumpy Old Man says:
22 August 2010 at 2:20 (UTC -7 )
Used properly, DDT is a beneficial chemical agent that can save millions of lives. Used improperly… well, duh! Anything that is used improperly is ‘bad’. Electricity used to power your computer while sitting at a desk is ‘good’, electricity used to power your computer while sitting in a bathtub full of water can be VERY ‘bad’!
old white guy says:
22 August 2010 at 7:08 (UTC -7 )
let er rip. we have put up with so much bogus science it is now starting to hit and hurt us where we live. how about weed killer. as someone who is allergic to many weeds the current trend to turn all our properties into weed patches rally pisses me off.
real conservative says:
22 August 2010 at 13:12 (UTC -7 )
Yes it may be time again to use DDT if it is that effective. This problem is costly and destructive to the developed world. I trust me know a lot more now about DDT and how to use it and avoid any ill effects on humans and other life years later.
Marc says:
17 October 2010 at 16:37 (UTC -7 )
All three previous comments take a logical, scientific approach to finding solutions to the growing bedbug challenge. Problem is this increase was brought about by environmental zealots working on alarmist assumptions and coercing governments into taking knee-jerk actions banning one of the most effective tools against these pests. If we can find a way to shut up these extremist busy-bodies, common sense might once again prevail. Sadly, I’m not too optimistic.