There's been a recent resurgence of a pest that was virtually wiped-out by DDT in the U.S. in the 1940's: The Bed Bug. These insects are resistant to pesticides and bug bombs that are commercially available. Even professional exterminators often have to make several visits to heavily infested locations.
Earlier today I saw a message board with pleas from numerous bed bug victims who were unsuccessful with conventional methods of bed bug control. They are willing to risk the consequences of breaking the law to get DDT, which was banned in 1972, to rid their homes of the little bloodsuckers for good.
Several big-name blues and jazz artists, such as Bessie Smith and singer/guitarist Lonnie Johnson, recorded songs in the 1920's about the bed bug blues.
EDIT: Just found an interesting news article, published yesterday, about the current Bed Bug problem - and someone who may have come up with an effecive new way to stop them.
http://www.tricitynews.com/portals-c...1084594&more=0
Quote:
Industrialized countries have for the last 10 years seen more and more bedbug infestations — and not just in hostels and low-income housing, but in expensive hotels and luxury penthouses.
Before that, they were virtually eradicated after potent pesticides such as DDT, now banned, came into use during the World War II. The recent resurgence is probably due to the bugs travelling from suitcases from eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East — where they’ve been thriving all along — to Canada, the U.S., Australia and western Europe. And although the pests don’t transmit diseases, they are extremely difficult to exterminate.
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