In searching for bed bug incidence studies (yes, that tiny handful of them), I came across a study from Finland, published in 1970, that used a novel inquiry method. In addition to surveying boards of health and local authorities, the authors sent surveys to radio and TV repair shops:

The third inquiry was sent to the 336 radio and television repair shops which are members of the Society of Radio Dealers in Finland. Replies were received from 126 shops (37 per cent) in 73 communes. 74,000 radio and 82,000 television sets were repaired in the year 1968 in the shops that replied.

Markkula M, Tiittanen K. 1970. Prevalence of bed bugs, cockroaches and human fleas in Finland. Ann. Entomol. Fenn. 36:99–107

The result?

Radio sets infested with bed bugs were brought into 14 per cent of the repair shops and infested television sets into 8 per cent of the repair shops that replied. Bed bugs were detected in 148 radio sets (0.2 per cent of those repaired) and 52 television sets (0.1 per cent).

Cockroaches in radios and TVs were more common, at 1.8% and 0.5%, respectively.

Who had bed bugs? One percent of the homes in Finland were estimated to have bed bugs in 1968. While bed bugs (and cockroaches) occurred in 40% of the communes of Finland, distribution of bed bugs was heavier in some areas (east and north), with bed bugs reported in 6.3% of the homes in one county, North Karelia, and not reported at all in another, Ahvenanmaa (the Åland Islands).

Perhaps pointing to the difficulties inherent in data collection, there was a considerable discrepancy in the bed bug reports in Lapland, with the local authorities reporting heavy infestations and the boards of health not reporting nearly any.

I’m glad I found this for it also contains this:

Indeed, Finland is one of the cleanest countries, because, according to Frazier (1969), 80 per cent of the population of the earth are plagued by bed bugs.

Again with the clean!

Still, very interesting. 80% of the population of the earth—what would this figure be now?

The study’s cited source for the 80% statistic is: Frazier, C. A. 1969. Insect allergy: allergic and toxic reactions to insects and other arthropods.

These pages may be of related interest:

1. Nobugs takes a very cool picture, a glimpse into highly infested London in the 30s
2. Serious social stigma (c. 1980)
3. NPMA/University of Kentucky global bed bug survey
4. Finally, researchers on the efficacy of dusts
5. How long will it take?