It’s tiny, it bites, and it’s been around for 60,000 years—what researchers just uncovered
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It turns out the phrase "Don’t let the bed bugs bite" could be one of the oldest pieces of human advice.
A groundbreaking new study just revealed that bed bugs have been feeding on humans for over 60,000 years, making them possibly the first true urban pest—predating even rats and cockroaches.
The findings, published in the journal Biology Letters, suggest that bed bugs didn’t just show up in mattress—they followed us out of caves and into cities, latching onto human civilization as it formed and flourished.
Researchers from Virginia Tech analyzed the DNA of bed bugs collected from a region in Europe.
They compared bugs that feed on bats with those that feed on humans. Both lineages declined during the last ice age, but only the human-associated one recovered.
Lead author Lindsay Miles explained, “The really exciting part is that the human-associated lineage did recover and their effective population increased.”
This rebound began around 12,000 years ago, right as early humans started building large settlements.
Cities like those that later became part of Mesopotamia created the perfect environment for bed bugs to flourish.
Warren Booth, who co-authored the study, said there were once bed bugs living in caves with humans and bats.
When humans moved out, only a portion of that population moved with them—meaning today’s bed bugs have less genetic diversity.
That split may have sealed their destiny. As early civilizations emerged, human-associated bed bugs adapted and spread while their bat-dependent relatives continued to decline.
By living in bedding and furniture, these parasites found easy access to blood and shelter.
The findings show that bed bugs have a longer relationship with humans than other common household pests.
They likely predate rats and cockroaches in domestic settings by thousands of years.
This ancient bond also tells researchers something valuable. Tracking how bed bugs evolved alongside us could help researchers predict how other pests spread in cities.
According to the study, understanding a pest’s “effective population size”—or how many individuals are breeding—can reveal changes over time. For bed bugs, that number surged when human cities grew.
The study also raises a new question: If bed bugs were this quick to adapt to human life, what other pests might have followed similar paths?
As urban life continues to expand, so too might ancient relationships we’ve yet to discover.
For now, the legacy of bed bugs lives on. They’ve followed us from dark caves to brightly lit homes, from prehistory to today.
While we may never be completely free of them, each new discovery brings us closer to controlling the infestation.
Also read:
Have you ever dealt with these ancient pests in your home? Got a go-to tip that helped you win the battle? Share your story in the comments—we’d love to hear from you.
A groundbreaking new study just revealed that bed bugs have been feeding on humans for over 60,000 years, making them possibly the first true urban pest—predating even rats and cockroaches.
The findings, published in the journal Biology Letters, suggest that bed bugs didn’t just show up in mattress—they followed us out of caves and into cities, latching onto human civilization as it formed and flourished.
Researchers from Virginia Tech analyzed the DNA of bed bugs collected from a region in Europe.
They compared bugs that feed on bats with those that feed on humans. Both lineages declined during the last ice age, but only the human-associated one recovered.
Lead author Lindsay Miles explained, “The really exciting part is that the human-associated lineage did recover and their effective population increased.”
This rebound began around 12,000 years ago, right as early humans started building large settlements.
A groundbreaking new study just revealed that bed bugs have been feeding on humans for over 60,000 years. Image source: @TalkingWithDocs / YouTube
Cities like those that later became part of Mesopotamia created the perfect environment for bed bugs to flourish.
Warren Booth, who co-authored the study, said there were once bed bugs living in caves with humans and bats.
When humans moved out, only a portion of that population moved with them—meaning today’s bed bugs have less genetic diversity.
That split may have sealed their destiny. As early civilizations emerged, human-associated bed bugs adapted and spread while their bat-dependent relatives continued to decline.
By living in bedding and furniture, these parasites found easy access to blood and shelter.
The findings show that bed bugs have a longer relationship with humans than other common household pests.
They likely predate rats and cockroaches in domestic settings by thousands of years.
This ancient bond also tells researchers something valuable. Tracking how bed bugs evolved alongside us could help researchers predict how other pests spread in cities.
According to the study, understanding a pest’s “effective population size”—or how many individuals are breeding—can reveal changes over time. For bed bugs, that number surged when human cities grew.
The study also raises a new question: If bed bugs were this quick to adapt to human life, what other pests might have followed similar paths?
As urban life continues to expand, so too might ancient relationships we’ve yet to discover.
For now, the legacy of bed bugs lives on. They’ve followed us from dark caves to brightly lit homes, from prehistory to today.
While we may never be completely free of them, each new discovery brings us closer to controlling the infestation.
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