Who Knows the Bed Bug? Knowledge of Adult Bed Bug Appearance Increases with People’s Age in Three Counties of Great Britain

The current reemergence of bed bugs in the western world has a multitude of causes. One of them may be low early detection rate of emerging infestations because of a current poor knowledge among the population of what bed bugs look like. In a survey conducted in three counties of the United Kingdom, 10% of 358 individuals recognized the bed bug when presented with a live adult. Older people were more likely to correctly identify the bed bug. If an increasing knowledge of the bed bug appearance facilitates early detection of infestations, the hospitality and travel industry may benefit from educating their staff on the bed bug appearance.