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Infested: How the Bed Bug Infiltrated Our Bedrooms and Took Over the World
Bed bugs. Few words strike such fear in the minds of travelers. In cities around the world, lurking beneath the plush blankets of otherwise pristine-looking hotel beds are tiny bloodthirsty beasts just waiting for weary wanderers to surrender to a vulnerable slumber. Though bed bugs today have infested the globe, the common bed bug is not a new pest at all. Indeed, as Brooke Borel reveals in this unusual history, this most-reviled species may date back over 250,000 years, wreaking havoc on our collective psyche while even inspiring art, literature, and music—in addition to vexatious red welts. In Infested, Borel introduces readers to the biological and cultural histories of these amazingly adaptive insects, and the myriad ways in which humans have responded to them. She travels to meet with scientists who are rearing bed bug colonies—even by feeding them with their own blood (ouch!)—and to the stages of musicals performed in honor of the pests. She explores the history of bed bugs and their apparent disappearance in the 1950s after the introduction of DDT, charting how current infestations have flourished in direct response to human chemical use as well as the ease of global travel. She also introduces us to the economics of bed bug infestations, from hotels to homes to office buildings, and the expansive industry that has arisen to combat them.Hiding during the day in the nooks and seams of mattresses, box springs, bed frames, headboards, dresser tables, wallpaper, or any clutter around a bed, bed bugs are thriving and eager for their next victim. By providing fascinating details on bed bug science and behavior as well as a captivating look into the lives of those devoted to researching or eradicating them, Infested is sure to inspire at least a nibble of respect for these tenacious creatures—while also ensuring that you will peek beneath the sheets with prickly apprehension.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 8, 2015
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304 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 16, 2017
Writing - - 4 stars
Topic creepiness - - 100 stars
Topic creepiness - - 100 stars
April 25, 2015
Very well written. A bit Mary Roachish which is high praise in my book!
February 28, 2021
I don’t think I would have picked up this book where it not for a recent a Battle we fought with an infestation of bed bugs. In fact, when I was a child, I thought bedbugs were a joke, something my grandma made up in her funny sayings during saying good night. Boy, was I wrong about that! This book is interesting because it combines information about bedbugs with history, something that always fascinates me. I didn’t realize how this bug has been an intra-goal part of life throughout the ages and with most cultures. It also helped me feel less humiliated about getting an infestation of these ugly, ubiquitous, but fairly harmless creatures. While they lack the exciting danger of black widow spiders, killer hornets, and other more immediately dangerous bugs, bedbugs are particularly tenacious and hard to destroy.
February 27, 2024
Not so much icky as engrossing. Bed bugs in this quirky compilation make a fertile ground for fascination. It's surprisingly satisfying.
July 18, 2015
Obviously, this is not a book for the entomophobic. Borel did an excellent job of discussing the history, the science, and the social aspects of bed bugs. She skillfully handled narratives on difficult topics, such as using genetics to understand the origin and evolution of bed bugs. This book is not as light as a lot of the popular science books I've read recently, but if you are interested in the topic you should find it readable and informative.
January 30, 2016
A fascinating read. I didn't expect to find this as interesting as I did, and I was kind of shocked that I didn't get itchy while reading it or have nightmares about bed bugs. It actually made me feel better about dealing with them should I ever encounter them.
August 19, 2015
This book was absolutely fascinating. I don't even like bugs (in general), and I couldn't put it down!
May 30, 2015
I was hoping for something gross; what I got was something boring.
October 31, 2025
With humor and entertaining writing the author does an excellent job of describing the nightmare that is BEDBUGS!!! I can speak, unfortunately from personal experience. I read the book in one of my many sleepless nights lying in bed, afraid of going to sleep, knowing that the creepy little vampires would descend on me for a midnight feast as I slept.
Borelle describes her journey of extensive traveling to speak with experts (entomologists and exterminators).
Being a history buff I particularly enjoyed her description of how far back these minuscule monsters have been torturing humans and the myriad ways we have tried to conquer them without much success.
Unless I missed it in the fog of sleep deprivation she does not give her desperate readers the vital information we’ve been looking for. What is the most successful treatment?? After extensive research myself I’ve learned the ONLY way to eradicate the evil pests is with HEAT.
Because the heat treatment that the professional exterminators use requires very expensive equipment, so needless to say the treatment is not cheap. We were so relieved when Adam with Bedbug Assassins was able to help us with te financial aspects. After the torture we’ve been through I keep thinking of ways I can thank him. I thought about volunteering to work on his phone appointments so I can explain to people that I know from personal experience how much they have suffered .People think it’s a joke and I have learned to laugh about it but most of the times it’s really no laughing matter if you have been tortured by Bed bugs or if you work in the field, you definitely want to read this very informative and humorous book.
Borelle describes her journey of extensive traveling to speak with experts (entomologists and exterminators).
Being a history buff I particularly enjoyed her description of how far back these minuscule monsters have been torturing humans and the myriad ways we have tried to conquer them without much success.
Unless I missed it in the fog of sleep deprivation she does not give her desperate readers the vital information we’ve been looking for. What is the most successful treatment?? After extensive research myself I’ve learned the ONLY way to eradicate the evil pests is with HEAT.
Because the heat treatment that the professional exterminators use requires very expensive equipment, so needless to say the treatment is not cheap. We were so relieved when Adam with Bedbug Assassins was able to help us with te financial aspects. After the torture we’ve been through I keep thinking of ways I can thank him. I thought about volunteering to work on his phone appointments so I can explain to people that I know from personal experience how much they have suffered .People think it’s a joke and I have learned to laugh about it but most of the times it’s really no laughing matter if you have been tortured by Bed bugs or if you work in the field, you definitely want to read this very informative and humorous book.
June 21, 2024
I recently read a book inspired by the author's personal experience ("Lab 257") that never worked well because the author was not skilled in translating his own experience into a good story.
Likewise "Infested" was inspired by Borel's unpleasant experience with bedbug infestation, but she was already building a career writing for magazines and that gave her the chops to write a compelling book about a subject that makes a lot of people queasy.
Borel starts with a basic question: "Bedbugs were not a problem as recently as a 1990's. Now they're everywhere. Why?".
To answer this question she consults politicians, public health officials, environmentalists, exterminators, science historians and entomologists. She meets artists, scientists, businessmen, con men and everything in between. She even accompanies entomologists on their intrepid journey to eastern Europe try and solve the riddle of this enigmatic insect.
She also introduces us to Robert L. Usinger, the Indiana Jones of bedbugs, who wrote the definitive work on the insect ("Monograph of Cimicidae") in 1966. I too grow tired of people invoking "Indy" to denote heroic effort, but in this case it applies! He died in 1968 at the age of 56 and one wonders what he would bring to the current debate were he still around.
Borel's tone throughout is inquiring but humble. She realizes when she's in a discussion that's over her head and readily admits it. All in all it's a wide-ranging and heartfelt survey of an important but unpleasant subject.
Likewise "Infested" was inspired by Borel's unpleasant experience with bedbug infestation, but she was already building a career writing for magazines and that gave her the chops to write a compelling book about a subject that makes a lot of people queasy.
Borel starts with a basic question: "Bedbugs were not a problem as recently as a 1990's. Now they're everywhere. Why?".
To answer this question she consults politicians, public health officials, environmentalists, exterminators, science historians and entomologists. She meets artists, scientists, businessmen, con men and everything in between. She even accompanies entomologists on their intrepid journey to eastern Europe try and solve the riddle of this enigmatic insect.
She also introduces us to Robert L. Usinger, the Indiana Jones of bedbugs, who wrote the definitive work on the insect ("Monograph of Cimicidae") in 1966. I too grow tired of people invoking "Indy" to denote heroic effort, but in this case it applies! He died in 1968 at the age of 56 and one wonders what he would bring to the current debate were he still around.
Borel's tone throughout is inquiring but humble. She realizes when she's in a discussion that's over her head and readily admits it. All in all it's a wide-ranging and heartfelt survey of an important but unpleasant subject.
August 8, 2019
One word: boring. A tedious slog to get through; only about 10% of the content was mildly interesting or helpful in any way. It basically details all the author's research (including interviews with people like pest exterminators, bed bug biologists, etc) in her quest to find out more about bed bugs, how and from where they originated, how they spread and so on. I wonder why this was even made into a book - not all research is useful or fascinating ok? Just because you've spent countless hours looking into a subject, doesn't mean what you end up finding is worthy of publication.
March 14, 2021
Major creepiness factor. If you’ve ever dealt with bedbugs (I have), you might find yourself getting a little itchy and maybe even a little paranoid that “they’re back!!” (I don’t currently have them). A well-written popular science book, in which the author traces the near disappearing of bedbugs until the late 20th Century, and the rise of pesticide-resistant bugs, attempting to determine their source.
December 16, 2017
Interesting read
August 29, 2018
Fascinating (and horrifying)!
August 21, 2015
This was one of the most well written science-based books I've found in a great while. The author delves deep into the life of the lowly bed bug and its centuries-old relationship to mankind.
I was awash in fascination, horror, and I even found myself praying at some point that I would never be the victim of a bed bug infestation. But this is so, so much more than a shallow sensational attempt to play on the fears of her readers. It is excellent science and history sparklingly well written.
What caused the global bed bug resurgence that began nearly three decades ago in some places and has now spread to even five-star hotels and some of the finest hospitals in the nation? The answer is no one's sure.
Before I read this book, whenever I heard about bed bug infestations, I would immediately ask, why not bring back DDT until this is again in control? The book taught me well that my ideas are not only oversimplified, but even unworkable and harmful. Indeed, it is likely, according to the author, that DDT is a factor in the bed bug resurgence. Oh, it worked great in the early post-war years when it was sprayed almost with abandon. Most baby boomers saw bed bugs as a quaint artifact of some pioneer frontier era when people put their bed legs in bowls of salt water or other solutions designed to kill the nasty little vampires. If we heard about bed bugs at all, we assumed it was a third-world problem or at best, something seen in the worst slums of only the nation's largest cities. Ah, but global travel, DDT and other chemical resistances, and a host of other issues have combined to now move the hated and feared little bug into the limelight of scientific conferences and academic research.
It was the author's own battle with bed bugs that started her thinking about the need for this book. These little creatures have a long and sordid history of literally terrorizing those already in a fragile mental state. There's even one instance, according to the book, of a suicide when a woman, admittedly broken in so many areas, decided that death would be superior to battling another infestation in her home. Accordingly, she leapt from a high place to her death. Several studies show that nights of being bitten mercilessly have caused conditions even in relatively well-adjusted people similar to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. It makes sense; we fear falling asleep, so sleep patterns become severely altered, and there's the stress and time needed to kill an infestation. All of that can add up to serious stress.
I first heard of this book when The New York Times Book Review featured it in one of its podcasts. When I expressed an interest in reading the book, the immediate reaction from those around me was "Sick! why would you want to read about that?" If you, too, adopt that perspective and thereby dismiss this book, you will walk away from writing that is compelling, easy to follow, and enlightening on so many levels.
Incidentally, don't buy this if you are looking for a way to rid your life of bed bugs. You won't find that advice here. You will read with more than passing interest about a battle between the state of Ohio and the Environmental Protection Agency. Ohio wants to deal with its significant bed bug problem by treating with a chemical called Propoxir. That chemical is in a specific class of chemicals about which the EPA demands more documentation. Incidentally, the chemical is used on some dog flea treatment collars, and for now at least, it does an excellent job of killing bed bugs. But not everyone agrees that Ohio should use the chemical en masse, since it, too, will likely create evolved bed bugs who are resistant to it.
There are no tried and true ways to obliterate bed bugs, and the book doesn't give you advice on how to most successfully do that, reasoning that whatever methods work are already well known and available.
You'll travel with the author from infested bedrooms to labs and even bat caves to better understand the genetic differences between bed bugs that are not resistant to current pesticidal treatments and those that are. But at no time will the author try to impress you in that fake shallow way some have of using big words and scientific jargon to make her points. This is highly readable throughout and well worth the price of the Kindle edition.
I was awash in fascination, horror, and I even found myself praying at some point that I would never be the victim of a bed bug infestation. But this is so, so much more than a shallow sensational attempt to play on the fears of her readers. It is excellent science and history sparklingly well written.
What caused the global bed bug resurgence that began nearly three decades ago in some places and has now spread to even five-star hotels and some of the finest hospitals in the nation? The answer is no one's sure.
Before I read this book, whenever I heard about bed bug infestations, I would immediately ask, why not bring back DDT until this is again in control? The book taught me well that my ideas are not only oversimplified, but even unworkable and harmful. Indeed, it is likely, according to the author, that DDT is a factor in the bed bug resurgence. Oh, it worked great in the early post-war years when it was sprayed almost with abandon. Most baby boomers saw bed bugs as a quaint artifact of some pioneer frontier era when people put their bed legs in bowls of salt water or other solutions designed to kill the nasty little vampires. If we heard about bed bugs at all, we assumed it was a third-world problem or at best, something seen in the worst slums of only the nation's largest cities. Ah, but global travel, DDT and other chemical resistances, and a host of other issues have combined to now move the hated and feared little bug into the limelight of scientific conferences and academic research.
It was the author's own battle with bed bugs that started her thinking about the need for this book. These little creatures have a long and sordid history of literally terrorizing those already in a fragile mental state. There's even one instance, according to the book, of a suicide when a woman, admittedly broken in so many areas, decided that death would be superior to battling another infestation in her home. Accordingly, she leapt from a high place to her death. Several studies show that nights of being bitten mercilessly have caused conditions even in relatively well-adjusted people similar to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. It makes sense; we fear falling asleep, so sleep patterns become severely altered, and there's the stress and time needed to kill an infestation. All of that can add up to serious stress.
I first heard of this book when The New York Times Book Review featured it in one of its podcasts. When I expressed an interest in reading the book, the immediate reaction from those around me was "Sick! why would you want to read about that?" If you, too, adopt that perspective and thereby dismiss this book, you will walk away from writing that is compelling, easy to follow, and enlightening on so many levels.
Incidentally, don't buy this if you are looking for a way to rid your life of bed bugs. You won't find that advice here. You will read with more than passing interest about a battle between the state of Ohio and the Environmental Protection Agency. Ohio wants to deal with its significant bed bug problem by treating with a chemical called Propoxir. That chemical is in a specific class of chemicals about which the EPA demands more documentation. Incidentally, the chemical is used on some dog flea treatment collars, and for now at least, it does an excellent job of killing bed bugs. But not everyone agrees that Ohio should use the chemical en masse, since it, too, will likely create evolved bed bugs who are resistant to it.
There are no tried and true ways to obliterate bed bugs, and the book doesn't give you advice on how to most successfully do that, reasoning that whatever methods work are already well known and available.
You'll travel with the author from infested bedrooms to labs and even bat caves to better understand the genetic differences between bed bugs that are not resistant to current pesticidal treatments and those that are. But at no time will the author try to impress you in that fake shallow way some have of using big words and scientific jargon to make her points. This is highly readable throughout and well worth the price of the Kindle edition.
July 26, 2015
Not stating to be an expert on Cimicidae, I was just a curious bed bug explorer. She also turned out to be one. I started out with an expectation of pest eradication (just knowing the title then). Upon reading I understood that this book is not what I expected it to be.
It turned out to be a curious guide to where bed bugs originated, how they manifested themselves, how they came to adapt themselves. It went on to note monograph of cimicidae by using and its important contributions which took the science of entomology to another level. It also talked about Harlod Harlan's breeding and curiosity with the species.
The author's experience with numerous experiences in conferences of pest control, Bayer's laboratories, Prague and stories from Bat caves in Keneya neatly weaved into a well written smooth read on the way bed bugs have affected our lives.
The only slightly diplomatic way to hide her fears of the pest were very obvious. I think she should have admitted to being so driven and flustered as to lend into a research on the cimicidae. Eventually if the endeavor turned out to be an interesting exploration in a thing to be evaluated in retrospective.
Never the less, the book is an interesting read, and someone dwelling in a variety read should read this one. Just for the thrill of the species. (Note the famous cimicidae sex methods, very interesting I must admit.)
It turned out to be a curious guide to where bed bugs originated, how they manifested themselves, how they came to adapt themselves. It went on to note monograph of cimicidae by using and its important contributions which took the science of entomology to another level. It also talked about Harlod Harlan's breeding and curiosity with the species.
The author's experience with numerous experiences in conferences of pest control, Bayer's laboratories, Prague and stories from Bat caves in Keneya neatly weaved into a well written smooth read on the way bed bugs have affected our lives.
The only slightly diplomatic way to hide her fears of the pest were very obvious. I think she should have admitted to being so driven and flustered as to lend into a research on the cimicidae. Eventually if the endeavor turned out to be an interesting exploration in a thing to be evaluated in retrospective.
Never the less, the book is an interesting read, and someone dwelling in a variety read should read this one. Just for the thrill of the species. (Note the famous cimicidae sex methods, very interesting I must admit.)
October 2, 2015
I decided to buy this book on an impulse after reading an excerpt from it on Ted.com and I was not disappointed. The book reads really well and quickly for the most part. The first half of the book provides you with a variety of very interesting information on the bed bug most of which I had no idea about and found fascinating to learn. The second half of the book is not as strong and drags a bit in my opinion. Overall, it was fun and something very different from the books I usually read. As a side note I thought the dedication on the book was very funny because as I was reading this book, my wife had to bear my constant "did you know that the bed bug..." statements. I can only imagine how many stories "Mike" had to put up with.
April 30, 2015
I have more than a passing interest/fear of bed bugs. This book called to me, piqued my interest, bored me at times, and calmed my soul. I admire the author's research. I learned more about genetics, adaptation, and the huge problem of resistance from reading this book. Also some fascinating details about the history of research on bed bugs and pesticides. Some sections seemed a bit over-long, and I do have some lingering questions. I'm dismayed that the takeaway message is that bed bugs are here to stay, but the overall effect of her analysis makes me feel more relaxed, not more panicked. Thank you Brooke Borel!
February 20, 2017
History of bed bugs -- how humans discovered them, how bed bugs evolved to feed off humans, how humans attempted to treat them. Borel also describes her travels to meet scientists working in the field an gives the reader a sense of the current efforts to treat infestations. In order to do that, researchers need to unravel the many mysteries of these resilient bugs.
My main interest in bed bugs is their mating cycle. That was one mystery Borel didn't really address in detail. But there was a lot of interesting information provided.
My main interest in bed bugs is their mating cycle. That was one mystery Borel didn't really address in detail. But there was a lot of interesting information provided.
May 10, 2015
If you love bed bugs (yes, it's two words), then this is your go-to source. Covers the origins of the pests, how they spread, and the never-ending battle to eliminate them. This is best taken in small bites or you can get overwhelmed with the information. Entertaining in spots and certainly provides valuable insights, but I admit that after a certain point, I had my fill of bed bugs, hence the "3" rating.
November 18, 2015
A lightly written travelogue of the author's ongoing fascination/horror of the nasty little bloodsucking menace that is the lowly bedbug. Spans the globe as she travels about, trying to trace the source of the insects. Touches on history, psychology, biology, chemistry and other topics all related to the bedbug. Light, conversational tone and a quick but fascinating read. Will give you the itches.
February 17, 2016
This book is a combination of creative writing, and scientific exploration. While I was happy to be able to follow along, I started also picking up on her growing preoccupation with the bugs--the narrative went far beyond just stating the facts. Specifically, I enjoyed the description of her visit to the caves in Chapter 8--it was easy to become immersed in, right up to the detail of feeling as if a rainfall of bugs were descending upon her. Great buildup!
May 13, 2015
An amazing book you won't be able to put down. Follows the history and biology of the bed bug, provides insight into how pesticides are made and introduces you to the "luminaries" of the bed bug world! I really liked that she was compelled to write this book after getting them several times. The appendices are great, too, including practical advice and limericks!
December 31, 2015
I learned so much from this book - maybe a bit more than I wanted to know about some aspects of bed bugs and their lives. Bed bugs were considered to be wiped out in the mid-20th century until they came roaring back in the last 20 years or so. Very interesting to read about the pest control industry and how they try to adapt to when animals evolve resistance to chemicals. It's worrying.
June 7, 2015
Fascinating book! Borel obviously knows her stuff about bed bugs, and manages to convey that information in a way that is both accessible and entertaining. If you like Mary Roach, you should give this book a try.
Want to read
April 5, 2015Via Rose Eveleth
August 1, 2015
This was a bit dry in places and meandered a bit. Not a bad book but not a great one. Worth reading.
October 16, 2015
Mildly engaging, well-told, but not really a book's worth on information.
Read
December 5, 2015Ick
January 1, 2016
This was a great book about bedbugs, including a history. Great book. Oh and if you ever get bed bugs don’t use chemicals to get rid of them. A hand steamer is your friend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews