Letting the Bedbugs Bite
As a kid my
grandfather would often say as I headed to bed, "don't let the bedbugs
bite." I was always confused by that, never having experienced a
bedbug. I always assumed that, much like my grandfather's reference to
"iceboxes," bedbugs were a thing that belonged to the past. But people
throughout Ohio - and the nation - are finding that bedbugs are a real
problem in some areas. Their resurgence is a good lesson in just how
well-intentioned government regulations can have very negative
consequences.
For those happily unacquainted with these pests, bedbugs are just what you would think from their name - bugs that live in and around beds, feeding off the blood of sleeping humans. They do not transmit diseases but they do cause itchy welts.
As I inferred as a youth, bedbug infestations were once quite a big deal. There were few effective ways to eradicate these bugs before modern pesticides were introduced in the middle of last century. DDT was very useful in eliminating bedbugs, and by the 1950s the U.S. population of bedbugs had pretty much disappeared.
Now, however, they are back. The Ohio State University has reported an outbreak. From news reports it seems that Cincinnati is overrun with these bugs. Other colleges and cities are reporting similar infestations, with New York City seeing an especially severe resurgence. There was recently legislation introduced in the Ohio legislature to recognize the problems posed by bedbugs and provide funds to deal with it.
For those of you familiar with the history of the DDT in the United States, this re-emergence of bedbugs should be no surprise. After Rachel Carson published her emotionally-resonant yet scientifically-flawed book Silent Spring, DDT's use in the U.S. was banned. Since DDT was responsible for the disappearance of bedbugs in our nation, it was only a matter of time before they came back.
DDT was certainly misused during its heyday. There are problems that come with the overuse of any chemical and DDT is no exception. But the problems supposedly caused by DDT were overblown and it is being used safely in other areas of the world to this day. It was banned not based on good science but due to an emotional reaction caused by a talented writer.
Because of this ban we are now facing problems like bedbugs which should not be an issue in this day and age. While it may be a nice dream to think we can live in a world without man-made chemicals, the reality is that these chemicals have made our lives better if we use them properly. Trying to eliminate their use ensures that we will continue to see problems like bedbugs plague us. As has been illustrated often in the past, legislators often deal with these issues based not on science but on public perception. This public perception is often wrong.
Other pesticides can fight bedbugs. They have been used with varying success since the banning of DDT. But bedbugs become resistant to certain pesticides, making them difficult to control. Those who work to control these pests should be allowed to have a wide range of options to deal with them. Unfortunately our government prevents this from happening.
The lesson of what can happen when environmentalists overreact is at the heart of the DDT story. The people in Cincinnati and throughout Ohio and the nation who are now encountering bedbugs are a living - if itchy - lesson to all of us. Environmental hysteria should not deprive us of the tools we need to improve our lives.
Marc Kilmer is a policy analyst with the Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions, a research and educational institute located in Columbus, Ohio.
