Where Do Bed Bugs Come From?
Bed bugs are unfortunately a relatively common nuisance in households and commercial establishments across Florida. If you’ve found these pests indoors, you’re likely wondering how they got there.
In most cases, bed bugs hitch a ride indoors by clinging onto fabric or luggage. They may also hide inside of furniture or clothing. Since they are only about the size of an appleseed, it can be incredibly difficult to spot these tiny pests before accidentally carrying them into your space.
What Causes Bed Bugs to Enter Your Home?
Bed bugs enter homes primarily in search of a reliable food source—human blood. They are attracted to body heat and the carbon dioxide humans exhale, making bedrooms and living spaces ideal habitats.
Homes with frequent human activity, such as apartments, hotels, and dorms, provide more opportunities for bed bugs to find hosts. Once inside, bed bugs hide in headboards, crevices, wall voids, baseboards, mattress seams, and behind furniture.
Since bed bugs feed at night, they thrive in places where people sleep and remain close to their hosts.
How Do You Get Bed Bugs? Common Ways Bed Bugs Spread
Bed bugs can enter homes through various means. Any time you go into a public space, there is a risk of bringing these pests home with you because they are drawn to environments where they can feed, hide, and reproduce.
While bed bugs aren’t caused by uncleanliness, certain factors make it easier for them to invade your space. Cluttered environments provide ample hiding spots, allowing bed bugs to go unnoticed. You can learn to spot bed bugs, such as their distinctive reddish-brown bodies, small dark spots on bedding, and the presence of bed bug bites.
There are several ways bed bugs can spread. If you now have bed bugs in your home, they likely came in by:
- Staying in luggage after traveling or returning from a college dorm: Homes with frequent travelers or college students are at higher risk of bed bug infestations. People often unknowingly bring bed bugs back from hotels, motels, dorms, or public transportation, where these pests are common.
- Hitching a ride on used furniture, especially if it’s upholstered: Purchasing used furniture, bed frames, box springs, or mattresses without proper inspection can introduce bed bugs. These pests hide in cracks, seams, and upholstery, making secondhand items a significant source of infestations.
- Hiding on your purse, backpack, or luggage: Luggage, clothing, and personal belongings act as carriers for bed bugs, introducing them into the home.
- If you live in an apartment complex, the insects may also have traveled to your unit from another: Living in areas with high levels of bed bug activity, such as apartments, dormitories, or shelters, increases the likelihood of an infestation. Bed bugs can move between units through walls, electrical outlets, or pipes in multi-unit buildings.
- Shared laundry spaces are also a common place to inadvertently pick up bed bugs: Homes that share laundry facilities, furniture, or common spaces with others are at greater risk. Bed bugs can easily transfer between items or spaces frequently used by multiple people.
Infrequent Professional Pest Control: Homes without routine pest control inspections or treatments are more susceptible to undetected infestations. Bed bugs can remain hidden for long periods, making professional help crucial for early identification and elimination.
Need help with bed bugs? Florida Pest’s specialists can help restore your peace of mind. Contact us today.
Where Did Bed Bugs Come From Historically?
Bed bugs have plagued humans for thousands of years. They originated in caves, where they fed on bats before adapting to human hosts. As civilizations grew, bed bugs spread through trade and travel, thriving in densely populated areas like ancient cities. Historical records from Egypt, Greece, and Rome document their persistent presence. Bed bugs became widespread in Europe during the Middle Ages and later traveled to the Americas through colonization.
While 20th-century pest control efforts nearly eradicated them, their resurgence in recent decades is fueled by global travel and pesticide resistance, making them a worldwide pest once again.
How Do Bed Bugs Spread Throughout Your Home?
Bed bugs are notorious for their ability to spread quickly and quietly within a home. Once inside, they move rapidly to find hiding spots.
They typically start near sleeping areas, hiding in the cracks and seams of bed frames, box springs, and headboards. That’s why if you have an infestation, you’re more likely to find these pests in your room than anywhere else in the house. Bed bugs are nocturnal and hide during the day and they will come out and feed on sleeping hosts. Bed bugs have a preference for a human host, so they will often hide in beds during the day. If an infestation is severe, they are known to hide near pet beds or bird cages as well.
Bedrooms also often contain numerous hiding spots and crevices, such as cracks in furniture, seams of mattresses, and folds of bedding. Bedrooms provide ideal places to hide during the day, making it difficult to locate them or even notice they are there.
If the infestation is left to spread, you’ll find bed bugs move to other areas, including furniture, baseboards, and even behind wallpaper or electrical outlets. Bed bugs can also travel long distances within a home, moving between rooms by crawling through walls, floors, or along shared plumbing and wiring in multi-unit buildings.
What To Do If You Have Bed Bugs
Discovering a bed bug infestation can be distressing and you may be tempted to tear the house apart and clean every inch. However, staying calm and taking a more methodical approach is best. If you have bed bugs, follow these steps:
- Identify infested areas and, if possible, wrap infested items in plastic
- Avoid moving furniture, which can spread bed bugs to new rooms
- Vacuum and declutter the area as much as possible
- Apply a bug-proof mattress encasement to your bed
- Contact a professional for a thorough treatment
Professional Bed Bug Services in Central and Northern FL, and the Panhandle
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FAQs
What is the main cause of bed bugs?
The main cause of bed bugs is their ability to hitchhike. They travel through luggage, secondhand furniture, and even visitors’ belongings, making their way into homes.
How do bed bugs start in the first place?
Bed bugs start when introduced into a home, often through luggage, clothing, and infested items like bed frames, mattresses, or box springs.
Does a dirty house cause bed bugs?
No, bed bugs aren’t caused by a dirty house. They are attracted to warmth and blood, not filth. However, clutter can provide hiding spots, making detection harder.
Are bed bugs due to poor hygiene?
No, poor hygiene doesn’t cause bed bugs. These pests are attracted to warmth and carbon dioxide, making any home, clean or dirty, susceptible to infestations.
How did I get bed bugs when I haven't been anywhere?
You could have gotten bed bugs from visitors, shared spaces, or secondhand items. Bed bugs can travel between apartment units or even through guests’ clothing.
What kills bed bugs permanently?
Professional pest control services are the most effective way to eliminate bed bugs. Treatments such as heat treatment or targeted pesticides can kill bed bugs at all stages of life.