What is the main cause of bed bugs?

The primary reason bed bug outbreaks occur is because of travel. Most of the potential risk and exposure comes from being in places that are extremely busy and have lots of traffic.

Where do bed bugs come from originally?

Bed bugs may have gotten their origin story from their cousins, the bat bug. They have historically fed on bats before plaguing humans like they do today. They likely evolved with us as bed bugs have been known to be problematic since some of humans’ earlier recordings.

Do bed bugs come from outside?

Bed bugs are generally not out in the open and prefer to stay close to their hosts. This means that bed bugs for the most part stay close to where their host sleeps. In the case of humans, this means their beds. For animals, this means they will be in their burrows, their nests, and any where else they hide away. The only other time bed bugs will find themselves outside, is when they are attached to a piece of furniture that was abandoned.

How long do bed bugs live?

Bed bugs can live up to 6 months under normal conditions. However, this does not account for the fact that they can go into a hunger induced hibernation when resources are scarce that can allow them to survive for up to a year without feeding in good conditions. This is what makes exterminating bed bugs so difficult.

Where Do Bed Bugs Come From?

Gary Anderson • August 25, 2021

How Do You Get Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are pervasive and can be found just about anywhere people tend to gather. Once bed bugs have infested an area, anyone who passes through that area may leave with some unwelcome hitchhikers. This is why bed bugs are prevalent in places with a high amount of foot traffic like hotels, motels, hostels, and Airbnbs. Even areas that are not frequented regularly by people can become infected by bed bugs if a carrier passes through and leaves traces of bed bugs behind. They have even been found in places like public transit and movie theaters.

7 Places You Can Pick Up Bed Bugs

The most common places where you can pick up bed bugs are:

Suitcases & bags: These are often used when traveling which introduces them to many areas that are potentially infested with bed bugs. Leaving luggage on the ground when traveling is not recommended as bed bugs can easily crawl into your belongings before you bring them home with you.
Hotels, motels, & hostels: Buildings with a high level of travelers from all over are the perfect epicenter for a bed bug outbreak. There are thousands of visitors that process through a regular sized hotel and each is a potential bed bug carrier.
Work: No better place to get bed bugs than the place you already probably can’t stand. Getting bed bugs from the office can be a nightmare, especially if the office needs to be treated. This can impact people’s work and reduce productivity with people having to react to bed bug extermination protocol.
School & college: Public institutions of learning are just as susceptible to bed bug infestations. Younger students are prone to sharing things like fleas, lice, and bed bugs. Older students living in dorms live in tight quarters and are often on a budget so secondhand furniture is passed around frequently.
Hospitals: Medical facilities harbor a wide variety of patients from all different walks of life. This kind of institution really promotes an environment that is primed for a bed bug outbreak. Luckily most facilities are kept clean and thoroughly monitored but bed bug outbreaks at hospitals are inevitable.
Busses & taxis: Public transportation is the perfect transfer point for a bed bug to detach from one rider and then catch another ride with its new unsuspecting host. Bed bugs have been found on both crawling in the fabric of the seats.
Secondhand furniture: Accepting or finding discarded furniture comes with the risk that it was recently exposed to a bed bug infestation. Does the couch look too good to throw away? Maybe its previous owners decided it was easier to scrap their couch than to hire professionals to treat it for bed bugs. Either way, it is important you check to see if that couch or box spring you found for free has bed bugs.

Why do Bed Bugs Spread?

Bed bugs tend to congregate in large groups in the fold of their hosts’ mattress. They require enough blood to survive on so populations that grow too big may eventually have to find new sources of food. This also occurs when a food source goes missing for a period requiring the bed bugs to explore new feeding grounds. Both reasons will cause bed bugs to leave their current home in search of another with access to more blood without the crowding of an entire infestation to compete with.

How Can Bed Bugs Get in My Home?

Bed bugs are notorious hitch hikers and if they have found their way into your home, they were most likely introduced by an unsuspecting carrier or managed to crawl in from an adjacent room. Catching a ride is more likely so checking baggage, luggage, and backpacks after trips is usually recommended. Even with extreme vigilance, there is no way to prevent bed bugs all the time because any one of your guests could accidentally bring them in.

It is also important to note, that bed bugs are excellent at finding access points and can travel at a pace like that of a ladybug. This means that having bed bug exposure in one room can quickly lead to bed bugs in another room. This is problematic for adjacent rooms that may not be under the same ownership like apartments, condos, hotels, and multiunit properties.

The Truth About What Causes Bed Bugs

Most people think that bed bugs are a sign of a house being dirty. This is far from the truth. Bed bugs are one of the few bugs that feed on blood meals, so it isn’t attracted to dirt and filth like cockroaches and ants are. Since they feed on humans, bed bugs are attracted to the CO2 we breathe and the warmth our bodies create. They smell for our breathing when they come looking for their next meal and then use the warmth of our bodies to locate us when close by. This means that bed bugs can be found just about anywhere humans are and have even ended up on 5-star resorts and cruise ships. There have even been reports of bed bug infestations on military submarines.

How to Prevent & Avoid Bringing Bed Bugs into My Home

Once bed bugs have been introduced it is a nightmare to get them out, so prevention is always the best strategy. Follow these steps to ensure that your chances of bringing these nightmares home are as small as possible:

When traveling:

Keep luggage off the ground
Check mattress and box spring for signs of bed bug activity
Wash and dry clothes on high heat upon return
Steam clean luggage upon return
If camping, heat treat gear and equipment for any possible blood sucking insects upon return

At home:

Never use secondhand furniture, toys, electronics, or bedding without checking for bed bugs
Avoid abandoned furniture all together
Seal any cracks, gaps, and crevices using caulking to prevent bed bug access
Use bed bug protective mattress covers and traps to identify activity immediately
Vacuum and steam upholstery regularly
Throw clothes in dryer on high heat after using public transportation
Never use or share a vacuum

While these prevention strategies seem extreme, if you have ever dealt with a bed bug infestation, you would know that this is nothing compared to the stress that bed bugs can cause.

If you have a bed bug problem that needs to be resolved, call EcoGuard Pest Management. We have licensed bed bug control experts standing by to help schedule a free inspection. We will get a technician out immediately to assess the problem and create a customized strategy designed to effectively exterminate your bed bug problem.

Where Bed Bugs Come From FAQs

What is the main cause of bed bugs?

The primary reason bed bug outbreaks occur is because of travel. Most of the potential risk and exposure comes from being in places that are extremely busy and have lots of traffic.
Where do bed bugs come from originally?

Bed bugs may have gotten their origin story from their cousins, the bat bug. They have historically fed on bats before plaguing humans like they do today. They likely evolved with us as bed bugs have been known to be problematic since some of humans’ earlier recordings.
Do bed bugs come from outside?

Bed bugs are generally not out in the open and prefer to stay close to their hosts. This means that bed bugs for the most part stay close to where their host sleeps. In the case of humans, this means their beds. For animals, this means they will be in their burrows, their nests, and any where else they hide away. The only other time bed bugs will find themselves outside, is when they are attached to a piece of furniture that was abandoned.
How long do bed bugs live?

Bed bugs can live up to 6 months under normal conditions. However, this does not account for the fact that they can go into a hunger induced hibernation when resources are scarce that can allow them to survive for up to a year without feeding in good conditions. This is what makes exterminating bed bugs so difficult.