Originally Posted by
axolotl
Bedbugs are not a specific issue for "tropical and semi-tropical" conditions. Indeed, most bedbug reports in recent years have come from the temperate-climate portions of the USA.
True, but they do thrive in crowded warm environments and dilapidated structures as is typical in the poor tropics. I suspect the "most bedbug reports" thing is more an artifact of who is doing the reporting.
OTOH iif you ARE in such an environment and it is conspicuously bug-free one must suspect the unrestrained and unregulated use of hard pesticides.
Back in the days in Ghana DDT (a persistent chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticide) was commonly used variously as a) shampoo to control head lice b) occasionally applied to cuts in the belief it would kill infections c) dumped into streams to kill fish for market and d) sprayed by hand directly onto our stored grain at the school I taught at to control weevils.
This was back when DDT was given along with other sorts of aid, I dunno how widespread it is today. I imagine I still carry more'n my share.
Mike