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In 1834, the British Royal Navy ship, the Chanticleer, was dealing with a terrible cockroach infestation. The ship's surgeon, however, wrote enthusiastically about the stowaways, describing them as a “most valuable insect.” Their shining characteristic? Devouring every bedbug on board. Bedbugs have tormented humans for millennia, so detested that their mere mention can make hearts race and arms itch. So why are these unwelcomed houseguests so difficult to defeat? There are approximately 100 species of bedbugs. Thankfully, only three feed on humans, all of which are chestnut brown, half a centimeter long, and incredibly flat— as long as they haven’t eaten recently. To find their next blood meal, bedbugs follow the biological signals our bodies release, such as carbon dioxide, odor, and body heat. Once located, they use their straw-like mouthparts to inject a cocktail of proteins that dilate blood vessels for easier feeding, along with an anesthetic to block any pain that might give them away. These compounds and other foreign proteins are what can trigger our immune response. While some people’s bodies don’t react to these bites, others develop itchy, red lesions that can stick around for several weeks. And these bites can appear anywhere on the body— it’s a myth that they always appear in neat rows or sets of three. While they're not considered social insects like bees or ants, bedbugs cooperate in fascinating ways. They huddle together in piles, called refugia, stacking their flat bodies within wall cracks or furniture, which is thought to help them preserve precious moisture and energy reserves. They release chemical signals, known as pheromones, to alert each other to threats. And their feces are rich in volatile compounds that help guide feeding bedbugs back to the safety of the refugia in the dark. Once a colony is established, it has tremendous staying power. Bedbugs can go weeks or months without a meal. If they find themselves in a particularly cool environment, they can enter a dormant state and survive over a year without feeding. While bedbugs can easily move around, they usually stay within 20 feet of where their human host is regularly sitting or sleeping. So new infestations are most often the result of humans accidentally transporting bugs via furniture, clothing, or other items. Throughout human history, we've tried almost everything to prevent these itchy invasions. In Eastern Europe, for example, people used bean leaves, which can trap bedbugs in their tiny, hooked hairs. Another common trick was running lit candles along bed frames to burn any hiding insects. While these methods were occasionally effective, bedbugs continued to thrive. And in the early 1900s, as central heating made homes more livable to humans and bugs year-round, populations hit unprecedented heights. But this bedbug renaissance was short lived. In the 1940s, the pest faced an existential threat in the powerful insecticide called dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane. Also known as DDT, this neurotoxin disrupts insects’ nervous systems, causing spasms and death. For decades, DDT was used across the globe to control agricultural pests and combat insect-borne diseases. However, in the 1970s, scientists realized DDT had accumulated to dangerous levels in the environment, potentially putting human health at risk. Many countries began banning DDT, but not before it had rid the world almost entirely of bedbugs. Almost. After decades of quiet comfort, bedbugs reemerged in the early 2000s, shepherded by fast-moving international trade. Many of these insects have since become pesticide resistant, developing traits like thicker exoskeletons, and the enhanced ability to break down insecticide toxins in their bodies. Thankfully, we still have options. People can utilize high heat, as most bedbugs and their eggs can’t survive temperatures above 45° Celsius. And despite their adaptations, bedbugs remain vulnerable to the suction of a vacuum cleaner. While simple, these tools warrant some gratitude. After all, unlike naval ships of the past, we no longer rely on the services of our other age-old nemesis, the cockroach.