Editing Bed bug (section)

=== 20th century ===
Until the mid-20th century, bed bugs were very common. According to a report by the [[UK Ministry of Health]], in 1933, all the houses in many areas had some degree of bed bug infestation.<ref name=boase/> The increase in bed bug populations in the early 20th century has been attributed to the advent of electric heating, which allowed bed bugs to thrive year-round instead of only in warm weather.<ref name=Potter>{{cite journal |url = http://entsoc.org/PDF/2011/AE-Potter-spring2011.pdf |year = 2011 |last = Potter |first = Michael F. |title = The History of Bed Bug Management – With Lessons from the Past |journal = [[American Entomologist (Oxford University Press journal)|American Entomologist]] |volume = 57 |pages = 14–25 |doi = 10.1093/ae/57.1.14 |doi-access = free |access-date = 28 June 2012 |archive-date = 29 July 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200729000205/https://entsoc.org/PDF/2011/AE-Potter-spring2011.pdf |url-status = dead }}</ref>

Bed bugs were a serious problem at US military bases during [[World War II]].<ref name=EntWW2>{{cite journal |url = https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA506261.pdf |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121007040155/http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA506261&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf#page=25 |url-status = live |archive-date = 7 October 2012 |title = Entomologists in World War II |journal = Proceedings of the DOD Symposium, 'Evolution of Military Medical Entomology', Held 16 November 2008, Reno, NV. Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America |author = Gerberg, Eugene J. |date = 16 November 2008 |access-date = 11 November 2013 }}</ref>  Initially, the problem was solved by fumigation, using [[Zyklon B|Zyklon Discoids]] that released [[hydrogen cyanide]] gas, a rather dangerous procedure.<ref name=EntWW2/>  Later, DDT was used to good effect, though bedbugs have since become largely resistant to it.<ref name=EntWW2/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pct.texterity.com/pct/200707/?pg=50 |title=Pest Control Technology Magazine&nbsp;— July 2007 |publisher=Pct.texterity.com|date=17 July 2007 |access-date=2010-09-01| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100813010414/http://pct.texterity.com/pct/200707/?pg=50| archive-date= 13 August 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=C. Dayton Steelman |author2=Allen L. Szalanski |author3=Rebecca Trout |author4=Jackie A. McKern |author5=Cesar Solorzano |author6=James W. Austin |s2cid=42748989 |year=2008 |title=Susceptibility of the bed bug ''Cimex lectularius'' L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) to selected insecticides |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Urban Entomology |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=45–51|doi=10.3954/1523-5475-25.1.41}}</ref>

The decline of bed bug populations in the 20th century is often credited to potent [[pesticide]]s that had not previously been widely available.<ref name=newsweek0910>{{cite web |url = http://www.newsweek.com/2010/09/08/conservatives-blame-environmentalists-for-bedbugs.html |author = Newsweek |title = The Politics of Bedbugs |website = [[Newsweek]] |date = 8 September 2010 |access-date = 28 October 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101021040754/http://www.newsweek.com/2010/09/08/conservatives-blame-environmentalists-for-bedbugs.html |archive-date = 21 October 2010  |url-status=live |author-link = Newsweek }}</ref> Other contributing factors that are less frequently mentioned in news reports are increased public awareness and [[slum clearance]] programs that combined pesticide use with steam disinfection, relocation of slum dwellers to new housing, and in some cases also follow-up inspections {{how|date=June 2019}} for several months after relocated tenants moved into their new housing.<ref name=Potter/>