How were bedbugs eliminated in ancient times? - briefly
Ancient societies used heat, smoke, and natural substances such as sulfur, aromatic herbs, and vinegar to kill bedbugs on mattresses and bedding. They also employed physical tactics like beating infested fabrics and exposing them to direct sunlight.
How were bedbugs eliminated in ancient times? - in detail
Ancient societies relied on physical and botanical tactics to eradicate the nocturnal pest that infested human sleeping areas.
Heat was the principal weapon. Egyptian records describe the use of heated stones placed under mattresses, while Roman soldiers spread hot coals on bedding to kill insects. In the Middle Ages, hearths were positioned near sleeping chambers and blankets were hung over open flames for a short period, a practice that raised the temperature enough to destroy eggs and larvae.
Fumigation with aromatic plants provided a complementary approach. Texts from Classical Greece mention burning dried rosemary, sage, and lavender to produce smoke that repelled the bugs. Chinese manuals from the Han dynasty prescribe the combustion of mugwort and citronella leaves, noting that the resulting vapor penetrated cracks in wooden frames where the insects hid.
Direct application of insecticidal substances also featured prominently. Oil extracts from the cedar tree were smeared on mattress frames, exploiting the wood’s natural repellant compounds. Powdered sulfur, documented in medieval Arabic treatises, was sprinkled between mattress springs and left to settle before being brushed away.
Mechanical cleaning helped prevent reinfestation. Roman households regularly beat linens on a wooden board to dislodge insects, then washed them in river water or soaked them in sun‑heated baths. In medieval Europe, households employed beating rods and large brushes to scour mattress covers, followed by exposure to direct sunlight for several hours, a method that killed any remaining stages of the pest.
Animal assistance was occasionally enlisted. Domesticated cats and dogs, kept in sleeping quarters, reduced populations by hunting adult insects and consuming eggs. Egyptian tomb paintings depict felines positioned near beds, suggesting an early understanding of their predatory benefit.
These combined strategies—thermal treatment, smoke generated from aromatic herbs, application of natural insecticidal extracts, rigorous manual cleaning, and the use of predatory animals—constituted the comprehensive regimen ancient peoples employed to eliminate bedbugs from their living spaces.