The Bedbug Renaissance

摘要

For years bedbugs occupied the bottom rung of insect status, far below cockroaches, ticks and spiders. Calling someone a bedbug implied contempt beyond measure. But no longer! Suddenly bedbugs have become big news. Major newspapers carry stories about their mysterious appearance (over 400 articles so far). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a joint statement on the bugs' "alarming resurgence." In New York, authorities have announced three town meetings on how to avoid or get rid of them. As other insects gape in wonder, the lowly bedbug is now "Dancing with the Stars."