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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffBedbugs will feed on any mammal, including cows and dogs. In North America, migratory birds and bats have been sources of infestation.
More recently, as world travel has increased, bedbugs are finding their way into the home through luggage and clothing worn abroad.
Another contributor to the resurgence of bedbugs in the West is changing pest-control practices. Sixty years ago the common use of DDT — which kills most insects — nearly eliminated bedbugs in the United States.
Today the use of DDT is being phased out due to human toxicity concerns. Further, current extermination practices are more insect-specific — what's toxic to a cockroach may not kill a bedbug.
