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7 Myths About Bed Bugs Debunked

These creepy crawlers strike fear (and confusion) in the hearts of humans. CR gets to the truth.

It’s not surprising that half-truths and downright magical thinking come into play where bed bugs are concerned. There are few things that make us feel so powerless in our own domain as the specter of a visit from these creatures.

The most obvious misconception is that if you keep your house really clean, bed bugs won’t come. But “anyone can get bed bugs,” says Zachary DeVries, PhD, an assistant professor of entomology at the University of Kentucky. “Only those who have the resources are able to get rid of them.”

Below, CR busts some myths and delivers advice to help you stare down this scourge, protect yourself and your family, and take effective action if you need to.

Myth 1: You’re Safe From Bed Bugs if You Have a Foam Mattress

Truth: While bed bugs can’t live in foam, they can stash themselves in any crevice that’s close to your body while you’re inert, such as in the small cracks of your bed frame. So even though foam isn’t habitable for bed bugs, someone who’s sleeping on it is still vulnerable.

Does it lower your risk to zip your mattress and box spring into protective bags? “Mattress encasements can be useful to save your mattress and box spring, but they won’t solve your bed bug problem,” DeVries says.

So you can still have bed bugs in your home and can still get bitten. What encasement bags are good for is protecting the actual mattress. That means you might not need to toss it and spend money on a new one if you have a bed bug infestation.

Myth 2: Bed Bugs Travel Only by Hitchhiking on Clothes or Other Fabric

Truth: Fabric is only one mode of transport. Bed bugs get around on their own just fine. Bed bugs can move around within buildings, between rooms and units. They can also hitch a ride on furniture or other infested items to move from one home to another. If you live in a multi-unit building and you know bed bugs are in apartments near yours, you should have an exterminator examine your home and look for signs of the pests. And if your home has an infestation in one room, adjacent rooms should be treated, too.

Myth 3: A Bed Bug–Sniffing Dog Is the Best Way to Identify an Infestation

Truth: There are reputable handlers with well-trained bed bug–sniffing dogs and there are scammers with untrained dogs. There are also legit bug-sniffing dogs that occasionally make mistakes.

Dogs and handlers should have proper accreditation and verifiable training through respected organizations such as the World Detector Dog Organization and the National Entomology Scent Detection Canine Association.

As for spotting signs of bed bugs yourself, there are a couple of things to look for on your sheets: tiny hard brown dots about the size of a pen tip (bed bug excrement) and small blood spots where you might have smashed a bed bug while rolling over. You might also see white eggs the size of sesame seeds in small clumps in or around furniture.

Find out how to identify bed bugs .

And remember, if you see none of the above in your home and your only worry is bite marks, the problem could be something else. There are many insects that bite in the night.

Myth 4: You’ll Need to Throw Out Everything You Own if You Have Bed Bugs

Truth: Most likely you won’t have to leave your expensive TV or computer—or much else—on the curb after a run-in with bed bugs. According to DeVries, you probably won’t need to throw away any of your items, unless the infestation is severe. “It is usually better to treat and eradicate the bugs first,” DeVries says. “If you want to replace items, it’s best to do so only after the problem has been solved to make sure new items don’t get infested.”

Once your home is treated professionally, your belongings should be okay. Exterminators use heat to kill bed bugs, a temperature above 120° F. (The high setting on most clothes dryers is well above this, by the way.) They bring in portable heaters and fans and gradually heat the room, using sensors to make sure the heat is well-distributed.

Some pest control companies ask you to strip beds and furniture and bag up belongings including clothes, shoes, and coats so that bed bugs have nowhere to hide during the treatment. You’ll leave these bags (tied tightly) in the room being heated so that the bed bugs get baked with the rest of the space. Most everything in your home, including furniture, can withstand this heat for the hour and a half necessary to kill off the bugs.

Myth 5: A Blow Dryer Is Fatal to Bed Bugs

Truth: In some cases, it can be. But the trick is keeping bed bugs in one place long enough to take the heat till they’re dead. A hair dryer can be a reliable tool for flushing bed bugs out of cracks and crevices, though. The bugs will scurry away from the hot wind.

Myth 6: Cayenne Pepper or Diatomaceous Earth Can Kill Bed Bugs

Truth: Most over-the-counter products—including natural oils, cayenne pepper, and diatomaceous earth—won’t be effective at killing the pests, according to DeVries. That also includes bug bombs, or sprays containing deet; the concentration is usually not high enough to kill bed bugs or their eggs (and it’s not safe to misuse this chemical by applying more than is recommended). Professional heat treatment by an exterminator is the surest way to kill bed bugs.

If you’re waiting for treatment, you might be able to reduce the number of bed bugs by laying down Cimexa’s Insecticide Dust, which is made mostly of silicon dioxide. Sprinkle it in cracks and joints of a bed frame and in any contact points where bugs could hide (for example, where wood meets the floor and where a bed platform meets the mattress). This insecticide absorbs the waxy exterior of a bed bug’s shell, leaving it desiccated, but you’ll probably need multiple applications. You can also “bake” bedding, shoes, backpacks, and pillows in a clothes dryer set on high for 10 to 20 minutes.

Myth 7: Once They’re Gone, They’re Gone

Truth: Bed bugs can live one to four months at regular temperatures (possibly a bit longer at cooler temperatures). An exterminator should come more than once and should inspect your home before offering a quote. Depending on the degree of problem and the size of your home, treatment costs can range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. Many exterminators include a follow-up visit, and some will return several times. (It would be prudent to request this.) After two to three visits from a pro to make sure there are no signs of bed bugs, you can consider yourself clear of the infestation.

Bed Bug Tips

These pests are more common than you think. From the “ Consumer 101 ” TV show, learn how you can protect yourself against a bed bug infestation.

Haniya Rae is a former home and mattress reporter for CR. Previously, she wrote about consumer advocacy issues for The Atlantic, PC Magazine, Popular Science, and others. 

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May 27, 2011

Top 10 Myths about Bedbugs

The insects, making a comeback around the globe, cannot fly and are really not interested in hanging out on your body--but they do occasionally bite during the day

By Megan Scudellari

Roger Eritja Getty Images

Once a pest of the past, bedbugs now infest every state in the U.S.. Cimex lectularius —small, flattened insects that feed solely on mammalian and avian blood—have been living with humans since ancient times. Abundant in the U.S. prior to World War II, bedbugs all but vanished during the 1940s and '50s thanks to improvements in hygiene and the use of pesticides. In the past 10 years, however, the pests have staged a comeback worldwide—an outbreak after the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney was a harbinger of things to come. This revival may be the worst yet, experts say, due to densely populated urban areas, global travel and increasing pesticide resistance—something to consider as the summer travel season gets underway.

"By every metric that we use, it's getting worse and worse," says Coby Schal, an entomologist at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Health authorities and pest control operators are regularly flooded with calls, and the epidemic may not have yet peaked. And because bedbugs are indoor pests, there are no high or low seasons throughout the year, he adds, only continual bombardment. "It's just the beginning of the problem in the U.S.," Schal says.

Spreading rapidly with the bedbugs is a mass of misinformation about their biology and behavior. Straight from the experts, here are the facts behind some of the most notorious myths about the diminutive bloodsuckers.

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Myth 1: Bedbugs can fly Bedbugs lack wings, and therefore cannot fly. That is unless you put a blow dryer behind them, says Stephen Kells, a bedbug researcher at the University of Minnesota. Then they'll fly about 1.2 meters. On their own, bedbugs crawl about a meter a minute, he says.

Myth 2: Bedbugs reproduce quickly Compared with other insects, bedbugs are slow to reproduce: Each adult female produces about one egg per day; a common housefly lays 500 eggs over three to four days. Each bedbug egg takes 10 days to hatch and another five to six weeks for the offspring to develop into an adult.

Myth 3: Bedbugs can typically live a year without a meal Scientists debate this point, but evidence suggests that at normal room temperature, about 23 degrees Celsius, bedbugs can only survive two to three months without a blood meal. But because they are cold-blooded, their metabolism will slow down in chillier climates, and the insects may live up to a year without feeding.

Myth 4: Bedbugs bite only at night Although bedbugs are generally nocturnal, they're like humans—if they're hungry, they'll get up and get something to eat. "If you go away to visit a friend for a week and you come back and sit down on the couch, even though it's daytime the bedbugs will come looking for you," Schal says. Keeping a light on, then, unfortunately does not keep these tiny vampires away.

Myth 5: Bedbugs live exclusively in mattresses "'Bedbug' is such a misnomer," Kells says. "They should also be called pet bugs and suitcase bugs and train bugs and movie theater bugs." Bedbugs spread away from beds into living areas and can be seen on any surface, he says, including chairs, railings and ceilings.

Myth 6: Bedbugs prefer unsanitary, urban conditions "Bedbugs are terribly nondiscriminatory," Schal says. Bedbugs can be found anywhere from ritzy high-rises to homeless shelters. The prevalence of the bugs in low-income housing is therefore not a result of the insect's preference, but of dense populations and the lack of money to pay for proper elimination strategies. "Any location is vulnerable," Kells says. "But some people are going to have a harder time getting control of them because it is such an expensive treatment."

Myth 7: Bedbugs travel on our bodies Bedbugs do not like heat, Kells says. They therefore do not stick in hair or on skin, like lice or ticks, and prefer not to remain in our clothes close to our bodily heat. Bedbugs are more likely to travel on backpacks, luggage, shoes and other items farther removed from our bodies.

Myth 8: Bedbugs transmit disease Bedbug bites can lead to anxiety, sleeplessness and even secondary infections, but there have been no reported cases of bedbugs transmitting disease to humans. They do, however, harbor human pathogens: At least 27 viruses, bacteria, protozoa and more have been found in bedbugs, although these microbes do not reproduce or multiply within the insects. Canadian researchers announced ( pdf ) in the June issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases that bedbugs isolated from three individuals in a Vancouver hospital carried methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , aka MRSA. Still, there have been no reported cases that the bugs actually transmit human disease.

Myth 9: We should bring back DDT When the controversial pesticide DDT was banned in 1972, most bed bugs were already resistant to it, Schal says, and today's populations are even more widely resistant thanks to the use of a new class of pesticides. Pyrethroids, the main class of pesticides used against bedbugs today, targets sodium channels in bedbug cells, just like DDT. Consequently, as bedbugs develop resistance to pyrethroids, they also become cross-resistant to DDT.

Myth 10: You can spray bedbugs away Thanks to pesticide resistance, those cans of spray at your local hardware store simply will not do , Schal says, adding: "Relying strictly on chemicals is generally not a good solution." The most effective solutions are fumigation and heat treatments, but these can cost a cool $2,000 to $3,000 apiece for a single-family home. Scientists are diligently pursuing other strategies, including freezing and bait similar to that used for cockroaches. In the October 2010 issue of the Journal of Economic Entomology Schal and colleagues at the U.S. Department of Agriculture published a technique that employs inexpensive infrared and vibration sensors to track bedbug movement, which could be applied to the development of automated traps that detect the pests.

• Household insects
• Biting insects

Quick facts

• Bed bugs bite people and feed on blood.
• They hide and can be challenging to see.
• They are great hitchhikers and can easily be moved by travelers.
• If you have bed bugs, don’t panic, they can be eliminated.
• It is very difficult to eliminate bed bugs yourself. It is best to contact a pest control service to control bed bugs.

Bed bugs ( Cimex lectularius ) are parasites that feed on humans, using their blood to grow and reproduce. Bed bugs also feed on animals, including dogs, cats and other pets.

People can be bitten without realizing it. Bite reactions vary from no reaction to mild (a red spot) to severe (rash or hives).

• Reactions caused by feeding might be mistaken for other problems such as biting insects, like fleas or mosquitoes, sensitization to detergents and soaps, and irritants (e.g. poison ivy).
• It is not possible to verify bed bugs from only red skin lesions; finding bed bugs is the only way to confirm they are present.
• Bed bugs are not known to transmit disease to people.

Bed bugs are found in many places, including homes, schools, retail facilities, office buildings, libraries and other public areas.

Bed bugs were almost completely removed from North America due to mass treatments with highly toxic insecticides that are no longer in use. Frequent travel, being good hitchhikers, improved treatment methods that target other insects without affecting bed bugs, and a lack of public awareness has led to a rise in the spread of bed bugs.

Be sure you have bed bugs before trying to control them. Research at the University of Minnesota found that 76 percent of samples submitted for identification are not bed bugs.

• Adult bed bugs are oval, flattened, brown and wingless insects approximately 1/4 to 3/8 inch long (5-9 mm). They are similar in appearance to a wood tick.
• After the bug has taken a blood meal its color changes from brown to purplish-red and becomes larger and more cigar-shaped.
• Young bed bugs resemble adults in shape but are much smaller, 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) when they first hatch. They are nearly colorless except after feeding.

Contact an expert to help identify any suspected bed bug specimens.

Another bed bug species that can be found in homes is the bat bug ( Cimex adjunctus ). They are reasonably common.

• They can bite people but much less frequently.
• Bat bugs look almost identical to bed bugs; they are identified by the longer hairs near the head.
• Bat bugs live in attics and eaves associated with bats, so inspection and control measures must be expanded to include areas where bats may be found.

Other bed bugs

There are other species of bed bugs that may be found in Minnesota but are much less common.

• The chimney swift bug ( Cimexopsis nyctalis ) and the swallow bug ( Oeciacus vicarius ) feed primarily on birds.
• They are sometimes found in houses when host birds are nesting in the home (including the attic and eaves).
• These species can also feed on humans if their normal hosts are absent.
• After mating, females lay white, oval eggs (1/16" long) into cracks and crevices.
• An individual bed bug can lay 200 to 250 eggs in her lifetime.
• The eggs hatch in 6 to 10 days.

Newly emerged nymphs seek a blood meal.

• Bed bugs typically bite the head and neck but they will also bite bare arms, hands, and legs.
• They usually live close to where people sleep, rest, or sit for long periods of time.
• They are active at night and generally hide during the day.
• Bed bugs feed for 2 to 5 minutes and then move quickly to a hiding spot.

Bed bugs need to feed at least once before each molt (when they shed their outer exoskeleton), although they could feed as often as once a day.

• Immature nymphs molt five times before reaching adulthood.
• There may be three or more generations per year. All ages are found in a reproducing population.

Under normal circumstances, adult bed bugs will live for about 2 to 4 months.

• Young nymphs can survive without a blood meal for days up to several months.
• Older nymphs and adults can survive longer without a blood meal, up to a year under very favorable conditions.

Signs that you have bed bugs

Look where you sleep.

Bed bugs typically group together in out-of-the-way areas, although some bed bugs will live by themselves, away from the rest of an infestation. The best way to check for an infestation is to look for bed bugs where you sleep or rest.

In bedrooms, look particularly on and around:

• Box springs, mattresses, bed frames, tufts, folds and buttons on mattresses.
• Furniture such as desks and chairs.
• Behind wallpaper, clocks and pictures.
• Cracks in wood floors and under the edge of carpet.

While bed bugs are most commonly found in bedrooms, infestations can occur in other rooms including bathrooms, living rooms and laundry rooms.

Look for spots or smears 

Bed bugs will sometimes deposit fecal spots (digested blood) while they are feeding. These are seen as dark (dark reddish or brownish) spots or smears found on bed sheets, pillowcases and mattresses, or in nearby areas.

• Dark blood spots on sheets and bedding may indicate bed bug feeding.
• In severe infestations, bed bugs may be more noticeable.
• A combination of bed bugs, cast skins (empty shells of bugs as they grow from one stage to the next) and fecal spots will be very obvious when closely seen.

Inspect carefully

These insects are small and very flat, so they can move into very tight corners and cracks. They have been found under picture frames between the glass and the frame.

Bed bugs can be found behind electrical outlets and other wall plates.

• Inspect all areas closely and, if in doubt, contact a pest control service.
• If you find a bed bug stop inspection and begin control activity.
• Bed bugs will move from their hiding places once disturbed. All further inspections should be accompanied by control measures.

Video: How to prevent bed bugs from entering your home (02:17)

The greatest chance of finding bed bugs is while you are traveling. It is a good habit to check your room whenever you stay in a hotel, motel or similar place.

Check your luggage where you typically set it down when you enter your home and where you store it after traveling.

Inspect your personal items before packing and when you unpack

You can only confirm that bed bugs are present by carefully inspecting each item. Pay attention to cracks, crevices, seams and folds of material.

If you find bed bugs, then you have to be careful in containing the infestation.

Bed bugs do not travel on people

Bed bugs may hitch a ride on clothing, but they are not like lice and will not travel directly on a person.

If you are concerned about bed bugs on clothing remove suspect articles and put them into a plastic bag.

• Remove clothing in a place with a non-carpeted floor so bed bugs will have to travel before finding a hiding spot.
• A wet cloth wiped over the floor will help contain any bed bugs that try to escape.

Tips for reducing the risk of bringing home bed bugs

If you think there might be bed bugs on your items seal everything in plastic bags until they can be laundered, washed by hand, heated or frozen.

There is no need to throw away luggage and clothing after discovering an infestation.

Before leaving the location, sort anything that can be washed and place it in plastic bags.

• Separate the laundry as you would if you were normally laundering items.
• This will prevent escaping bed bugs as you try to sort the laundry at home.
• Set the washer and dryer for the hottest setting that the fabric can stand.
• If using a dry cleaning service, mention that the items may have bed bugs and that they can keep the articles in plastic bags until just before loading them into the machines.
• Inspect suitcases and other items that cannot be placed into a washing machine and place them into plastic bags if you find bed bugs.
• Suitcases may be hand-washed using soapy water and the hottest water possible.
• Test the item to make sure it will not be affected by the hot water.
• A temperature of 100°F to 120°F should be hot enough.
• Use a scrub brush along the seams and folds.

Items that cannot be washed may be heated or frozen.

• A two-hour core exposure at 120°F (45°C) is considered a minimum target temperature for heat treatments.
• For freezing, a minimum of 23°F (-5°C) must be maintained for at least 5 days.
• The exposure time can be reduced if the articles are flash-frozen at a temperature of -15°F (-26°C), which would freeze the eggs instantly.
• Most household freezers will have temperatures between 30°F and 20°F.
• A 2-week freeze time is recommended if you are uncertain of the freezer temperatures.

If you heat or freeze items, these conditions must reach the core of the articles being treated.

Read more about Bed bug free holidays and Inspecting your hotel room for bed bugs .

How to inspect your hotel room for bed bugs (video 03:18)

Used furniture is another potential source of bed bugs.

• Do not pick up beds and furniture that have been left by the curb for disposal or behind places of business.
• Bed bug infestations can be found on tables, drawers and even electronics if these items were located in a bedroom or another place that was infested.

We recommend that you seek assistance from a professional pest control company.

• An exterminator uses specialty equipment to move furniture, take it apart and control the infestation.
• They perform careful inspections along with non-chemical controls (heat treatments, vacuuming and steam treatments) and insecticide treatments.
• The insecticides used are commercial products requiring special equipment and training.
• Pest control services use heat treatment (118°F maintained for at least 70 minutes) in target areas.
• All stages of bed bugs are killed when this is done properly.
• Heat treatment does not prevent bed bugs from coming back into a home and reinfesting it.
• Sometimes furniture is removed and heat treated in a container. But, it is not necessary to move or throw away your furniture or belongings, especially from an apartment or condominium.

It is important to cooperate with a pest control service.

To find a professional belonging to the National Pest Management Association, go to the Pest World website and type in your zip code in the search box under "Find a Professional."

When working with a pest management company there are some additional things you might have to do to help get rid of bed bugs.

You can use your washing machine and dryer to kill bed bugs infesting clothes and other washable items.

• Clothes laundered in hot water and/or dried in temperatures hotter than 122°F for 20 minutes will kill all stages of bed bugs.
• This is typically the medium-high setting. If you are not sure what temperature your drier can reach, ask a professional to test it for you.
• You can also heat curtains and other fabrics, rugs, shoes, backpacks, stuffed animals, toys and similar objects by drying them at medium-high for about 30 minutes for a full load.

For more information, see Laundering items to kill bed bugs .

Using cold 

Cold temperatures can kill bed bugs if they are exposed to it long enough. All stages of bed bugs will be killed on objects left in a freezer at 0°F for 3 days.

• Putting infested furniture outdoors during winter may kill some bed bugs.
• Outdoor freezing temperatures will not always kill all of the bed bugs infesting an object. But, you can use the cold treatment to disable bed bugs until you decide what to do with the object.

For more information, see  how to use freezing conditions to kill bed bugs .

Encasements

An encasement is a fabric covering that looks like a very large sack with a zipper and that completely fits around a mattress or box spring.

They are useful when you want to protect a mattress you know is free of bed bugs (it has been heat treated or you have purchased a new mattress).

• You can also use encasements on infested mattresses and box springs to trap the bed bugs inside them; you can keep using your bed as long as the encasements are not ripped or torn.
• Buy encasements (from professional pest control services) that are specifically designed for protecting against bed bugs.

Bed bug interceptors

Bed bug interceptors are small plastic trays with an inner and outer ring designed to help detect the presence of bed bugs. You place them under the bed legs. 

Bed bugs that try to climb up from the floor to the bed become trapped in the outer well. Any bed bugs that try to climb down will become trapped in the center well.

• Bed bug interceptors not only help to reduce the number of bed bugs that can reach the bed but also help determine whether bed bugs are present.
• You can buy bed bug interceptors online, from pest management companies, or from retail stores.

Insecticides

• Do not try to treat bed bugs yourself. The insecticides available in over-the-counter products are not effective in controlling bed bugs.
• Bug bombs (total release foggers) are not effective when treating bed bugs.
• These products throw insecticide into the air and very little product comes in contact with bed bugs hiding in cracks and behind and under objects.
• Bug bombs are potentially flammable if used incorrectly. It is easy for people to misuse or overuse bug bombs, and can result in unnecessary pesticide exposure.

CAUTION: We strongly discourage you from trying to treat bed bugs yourself. But, if you decide to use a pesticide, it is very important to carefully read and understand the label before using and to follow all label directions. The product you use should be labeled for bed bugs.

Authors: Jeffrey Hahn and Stephen Kells, Extension entomologists

Reviewed in 2023

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Bedbugs are reddish brown, oval and flat, and about the size of an apple seed. During the day, they hide in the cracks and crevices of beds, box springs, headboards and bed frames.

Bedbugs are small, reddish-brown blood-sucking, wingless insects. Bedbug bites usually clear up without treatment in a week or two. Bedbugs aren't known to spread disease, but they can cause an allergic reaction or a severe skin reaction in some people.

Bedbugs are about the size of an apple seed. They hide in the cracks and crevices of beds, box springs, headboards, bed frames and other objects around a bed and come out at night to feed on their preferred host, humans. The risk of running into bedbugs is higher if you spend time in places where nighttime guests come and go often — such as hotels, hospitals or homeless shelters.

If you have bedbugs in your home, professional extermination is recommended.

Products & Services

• A Book: Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies

• Bedbug bites

It can be difficult to tell bedbug bites from other types of insect bites. However, they are typically itchy, and they may appear clustered or lined up in rough rows.

Symptoms of bedbug bites are similar to symptoms of other insect bites and rashes. Bedbug bites are usually:

• Inflamed spots, often with a darker spot in the middle
• Arranged in a rough line or in a cluster
• Located on the face, neck, arms and hands

Some people have no reaction to bedbug bites, while others experience an allergic reaction that can include severe itching, blisters or hives.

When to see a doctor

If you experience allergic reactions or severe skin reactions to bedbug bites, see your health care provider for professional treatment.

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Bedbug infestations may be linked to:

• More frequent travel
• Changes in pest control practices
• Insecticide resistance

Where do they hide?

Bedbug infestations usually occur around or near where people sleep. They can be found in:

• Box springs
• Objects near beds

They can also be found:

• Under peeling paint and loose wallpaper
• Under carpeting near baseboards
• In upholstered furniture seams
• Under light switch plates or electrical outlets

How do they spread?

Bedbugs can move from one site to another by traveling on items such as clothing, luggage, furniture, boxes and bedding.

Bedbugs can easily travel between floors and rooms in hotels or apartment buildings.

Sign of uncleanliness?

Bedbugs don't care if their environment is clean or dirty. All they need is a warm host and plenty of hiding places.

Risk factors

You're at risk of bites from bedbugs if you're in places where people come and go often, such as apartment buildings, dorm rooms, homeless shelters, hotels, cruise ships, trains, buses and refugee camps.

• Cover up. Bedbugs don't tend to burrow under clothing. So you may be able to avoid bites by wearing pajamas that cover as much skin as possible.
• Inspect secondhand items. Look over used bedding, mattresses and upholstered furniture before bringing them into your home.
• Use hotel precautions. Check mattress seams for bedbug excrement and place your luggage on tables or dressers instead of on the floor.
• Kermott CA, et al., eds. Blisters. In: Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies. 2nd ed. Time; 2017.
• Studdiford JS, et al. Bedbug infestation. American Family Physician. 2012; 86:653.
• Dinulos JGH. Infestations and bites. In: Habif's Clinical Dermatology. 7th ed. Elsevier; 2021. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Dec. 22, 2021.
• How to find bed bugs. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/how-find-bed-bugs. Accessed Dec. 22, 2021.
• Top 10 tips to prevent or control bed bugs. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/top-ten-tips-prevent-or-control-bed-bugs. Accessed Dec. 22, 2021.
• Bed bugs FAQs. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/bedbugs/faqs.html. Accessed Dec. 22, 2021.
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Parasites - Bed Bugs

Bed bugs, a problem worldwide, are resurging, causing property loss, expense, and inconvenience. The good news is that bed bugs do not transmit disease. The best way to prevent bed bugs is regular inspection for signs of an infestation.

Image: Bed bugs hiding in the ribbing of a mattress corner.

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How Do Bed Bugs Travel?

Bags & personal belongings.

Bed bugs are transported by people, most often in personal belongings such as the following:

Luggage & Suitcases

Items kept close to sleep areas

They can hide in your personal belongings, or even on you, and hitchhike a ride back to your home, condo, townhouse or apartment.

A bed bug on jeans

Where do you pick them up?

It’s possible to pick up bed bugs almost any place - they've infested offices, stores, hotels, gyms and countless other places.

Prefer people over pets

The common bed bug prefers to feed on human hosts and does not prefer pets or other furry animals.

Bed bugs are easily transported into previously non-infested dwellings.

Once indoors, they can be extremely difficult to control without the help of an experienced pest specialist.

If you suspect you may have picked up some of these hitchhikers in your travels, call Orkin for a comprehensive bed bug inspection and assessment and implementation of a treatment solution.

Protect Your Home from Bed Bugs

Are bed bugs nocturnal | do bed bugs only bite at night, do bed bugs hide in pillows | signs of bed bugs, do bed bugs feed every night | bed bug life cycle, pest control, bed bug pest control treatment | bed bug exterminator.

Do you use super heating to kill bed bugs?

What Do Bed Bugs and Eggs Look Like on Clothes?

What do I do with the clothes?

Spraying for bed bugs did not work

If the neighboring unit has bed bugs, am I looking at being sprayed every three months?

Bed Bug Bites on Humans | Get Rid of Bed Bugs

What eats bed bugs | bed bug predators, what do bed bugs look like | bed bug identification, connect with us.

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How to Get Rid of Bedbugs

If you have bedbugs (or fear you might), don’t panic. Bedbugs can get the best of us, but they are beatable.

The first step in dealing with a suspected or confirmed bedbug infestation is to hire a reputable pest-control operator and carefully follow their instructions. Alongside that, we’ll show you how to find and identify bedbugs. And we’ll tell you how to clean infested bedding, clothing, and furniture, how to keep the bugs from spreading, and, hopefully, how to avoid them in the future.

What you need

Flashlight: A small, bright flashlight will help you spot bugs in their hiding places. We recommend the ThruNite Archer 2A V3 .

Lint roller: Use this to pick up any bugs, eggs, or cast skins you find.

Vacuum cleaner: A vacuum cleaner with strong suction and cleaning attachments will help you suck up bedbugs on your mattress and in the carpet. A bagged vacuum—our favorite is the Miele Complete C3 Calima —can make the task easier because any live bugs will stay sealed in the bag. Be sure to buy extra bags and throw them out after each use.

Garbage bags: Gather up bedding, clothing, and other items from an infested area in heavy-duty garbage bags to avoid further spreading bugs throughout your home.

Dryer: Run infested bedding, towels, and clothing through the dryer on the hottest cycle to kill bugs and eggs.

Mattress encasement: Encasing your mattress and box spring in a bedbug-proof mattress cover will trap any bedbugs inside so they can’t spread. Doing this also makes it easier to inspect your bed for bugs in the future, and a cover will protect your mattress from spills and other damage. We always recommend using one. Wirecutter’s pick is the Protect-A-Bed AllerZip Smooth Mattress Encasement , which has super-strong seams and a zipper that won’t easily open.

How long will this take to clean?

It can take days, weeks, or longer to fully vanquish a bedbug infestation. You will likely need to repeat the steps outlined here until you’ve gotten rid of the bugs entirely.

Confirm you have bedbugs

Bite marks, itchiness, or blood stains on sheets aren’t definitive proof of bedbugs. (There’s nothing distinctive-looking about a bedbug bite, and some people don’t react to them or bleed.) And you don’t necessarily have them just because you saw a weird bug (even on your bed!) or spent a night in a sketchy motel, or because your cousin’s boyfriend’s neighbor had bedbugs. Instead, look for the bugs’ characteristic brown-black, dot-like fecal stains (digested blood) on your bedding, mattress, box spring, bed frame, or nearby baseboards. If your mattress isn’t already in an encasement, look carefully along the mattress’s seams and crevices—especially the folds of a pillow top. Bedbugs also leave behind cast skins, which look like empty bedbug shells or fragments. This guide (PDF) has helpful photos of infestation signs.

Bedbugs typically harbor in or near the bed, and they come out at night, so you’re unlikely to see live ones during the day. Wait until after dark and grab your flashlight. Carefully look around your bed—again, especially in nooks and crannies—and on any nearby furniture, paying close attention to tiny places like screw holes or joints.

Know what you’re looking for, as well. There are many bedbug look-alikes, including carpet beetles , spider beetles , roach nymphs , and bat bugs , explained Matt Kelly, a Philadelphia-based pest control operator (PCO). And be sure to study guides that show the size and appearance of bedbugs throughout their life cycle. You can use a lint roller or tape to pick up any evidence—like bugs, cast skins, or eggs—and place it in a plastic bag to show a PCO.

Call for help

Once you’ve found evidence of bedbugs, you will need professional help. Eradicating an underlying bedbug infestation is not a DIY effort. Many bedbugs have developed resistance to insecticides, so spraying them with something you buy at a hardware store or online will kill only some and scatter the rest, making your problem significantly worse. Bedbugs (and their eggs) can be killed by steam, heat, and professional-grade chemicals such as insecticides, powders, and other agents, all of which must be applied by a trained PCO over multiple visits and inspections. The PCO can also identify the underlying cause of the infestation—for example, if they are coming from a neighboring apartment—and treat bedbugs hidden deep in walls or floorboards. A PCO will have specific instructions for cleaning, decluttering, and preparing your home for treatment. Follow them carefully.

And as hard as it may be, don’t panic. The bedbug experts we spoke with were unanimous in saying you shouldn’t throw out your mattress, move furniture, or rip up carpet before or during treatment by a PCO. Doing so could spread bedbugs farther around your home. As Jeff White, chief product officer of SenSci, a company that makes pest control products, said, “It’s easier to treat 500 bugs in one room, than 50 bugs in several rooms.”

Clean and kill

Alongside any professional treatment, you should clean infested areas and kill any bedbugs you find. Using an upholstery attachment, thoroughly vacuum your mattress and box spring, focusing on seams, crevices, and folds. Vacuum under and around the bed, behind the headboard, and around any other furniture near the bed where bedbugs could harbor. When you’ve finished vacuuming, carefully remove the vacuum bag and immediately seal it in a garbage bag to discard.

If you want to save expensive vacuum bags and you’re using a hose vacuum, the bedbug experts we spoke to suggested a trick: take a knee-high nylon stocking and pull the opening of the stocking over the hose attachment, with the stocking dangling over the end. Secure the stocking tightly with a rubber band, and turn on the vacuum. The suction will pull the stocking into the hose, and trap the bugs, cast skins, and eggs in the fabric (eggs are often sticky, and may require strong suction to remove). Turn off the vacuum and carefully remove the stocking, tie the end, and discard.

Remove sheets, pillows, and any clothing, towels, stuffed animals, or textiles that may have been exposed to bedbugs, and carefully seal them up in heavy-duty garbage bags. When you’re ready, remove these items and loosely pack them in the dryer. Run it on the hottest cycle for 30 minutes to kill any bugs or eggs. (If the items aren’t otherwise dirty, you don’t need to wash them first.)

Once you’ve heat-treated, you may want to store some of these items in airtight plastic bins like the Iris Weathertight Totes until the infestation is over, to avoid recontamination.

Decluttering and tidying the affected space will make it easier to treat your infestation. Fully seal trash in heavy-duty garbage bags and remove the bags immediately. Experts don’t advise throwing out mattresses or furniture if you have bedbugs. This, too, can spread bugs around your home or to others. If you do decide to discard your mattress (and check with your PCO first), seal it fully in a tear-proof plastic cover (many cities require this).

Use a mattress encasement

Once you’ve vacuumed and cleaned your mattress and box spring, it’s a good idea to use a bedbug-proof encasement such as the Protect-A-Bed AllerZip Smooth Mattress Encasement . The encasement will trap any bugs or eggs that could still be hidden on the mattress (or, if it’s torn, inside it).

Leave the cover in place, zipped, and those bugs and eggs will eventually die. Our experts said you should leave it on for a year, but ask your PCO for guidance—don’t unzip it! The encasement also ensures that no new bugs can sneak in. And it will be easier to spot future evidence of bedbugs on the encasement’s smooth, white surface. You may also want to encase your pillows. For that, we recommend the Protect-A-Bed Originals AllerZip Smooth Pillow Protectors .

Prevent spread

You’ll likely need to continue inspecting, cleaning, vacuuming, and decluttering for days or weeks while the PCO treats your infestation. During this time, avoid spreading bedbugs outside the home by limiting what you bring in and out. Bedbugs don’t live on people, but they could hitch a ride on clothing or bags. And don’t buy any new furniture, mattresses, or bedding until you know the bugs are eradicated.

Meet your guide

Courtney Schley

Courtney Schley, a senior editor covering sleep and appliances, has been at Wirecutter since 2014. She has held several roles at Wirecutter, including research editor, as well as supervising editor of baby and kid coverage.

Mentioned above

• Cleaning your mattress keeps mites, stains, and odors at bay. Here’s how to do it right. How to Clean Your Mattress  

Further reading

Don’t Let the Bedbugs, Mosquitoes, Ticks, or Ants Bite

by Ganda Suthivarakom

In this week's newsletter: It’s almost officially summer, which for a lot of people means the beginning of battles with entomological enemies.

16 Disgusting Home Items You’re Not Cleaning Enough

by Wirecutter Staff

Bacteria, mold, and more can hide in unpredictable places—here’s where to find it and what to do about it.

The Best Mattress and Pillow Protectors and Encasements

by Autumn Whitefield-Madrano

After 17 hours of research, we think Protect-A-Bed’s AllerZip Smooth Mattress Encasement and Pillow Protectors are the best to ward off bedbugs and dust mites.

How to Keep Bedbugs From Coming Home With You

by Courtney Schley

Bedbugs peak in the summer, just in time for vacation. Here’s how to check your hotel bed for bloodsuckers—and what to do if you find them.

• Live In The D
• Newsletters

Everything to know about bedbugs and travel: How to spot them, life cycle, what to do

Kayla Clarke , Senior Web Producer

Here’s everything to know about the link between bedbugs and travel.

Bedbugs are small, flat insects that feed on the blood of people and animals while they sleep. The French government has had to work to calm a nation as people raise concerns about a bedbug crisis as the country prepares to host the Olympic Games in just nine months.

Videos on social media of tiny creatures appearing to burrow in the seat of a fast train and reports of cases of bedbugs on public transport have proven to be unfounded, according to the transport minister.

But bedbugs have been a problem for decades. The bugs are very good at hiding and their slim, flat bodies allow them to fit in tiny spaces and stay there for long periods of time. They can go without feeding for between 20 to 400 days depending on temperature and humidity, according to studies.

Bedbugs are not a sign of a dirty home or poor personal hygiene. Bedbugs travel to new places by hiding in furniture, suitcases or other objects that get moved around. They are not known to spread disease but can be annoying because they can cause itching and loss of sleep.

---> Read more: Bedbugs are making France anxious ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics

The life cycle of a bed bug

Adults and all nymphal stages of bedbugs need to feed on blood from warm-blooded hosts. They prefer humans, but can use other mammals and birds when humans aren’t around.

Females lay about five eggs daily throughout their adult lives in places such as mattress seams, crevices in box springs, spaces under baseboards, and more. The eggs hatch in about 4-12 days into first instar nymphs, which must feed on blood before molting to the next stage.

The bugs will undergo five nymphal stages, each one requiring they feed on blood before they molt to the next stage. After the sixth stage, they molt into an adult.

Nymphs resemble smaller versions of adults. Nymphs and adults take about five to 10 minutes to obtain a full blood meal. The adults may take several blood meals over several weeks.

Mating takes place off the host and involves “traumatic insemination” whereby the male penetrates the female’s abdominal wall with his external genitalia and inseminates into her body cavity. Adults live six to 12 months and can survive for long periods of time without feeding.

How to check for bedbugs

Signs of a bed bug infestation include finding small wingless bugs in cracks and crevices around the bed, seeing small blood spots or bed bug fecal matter on bedding or finding bed bug eggs or cast skins.

Many people who have been bitten by a bed bug will see itchy welts, similar to a mosquito bite. Bite reactions vary from person to person and some people do not react at all. Bed bug bites have not been found to spread any diseases.

The only way to know for sure if you have bedbugs is to find a live bed bug in your home. You cannot tell just by looking at the bites. If you suspect you have bedbugs, you should inspect your bed or sleeping area. You can also contact a pest management professional to do an inspection for you.

The bite marks usually appear on the face, neck, arms, hands or other body parts and people are bitten while sleeping. The bites may take as long as 14 days to develop in some people, so you should look for other clues.

When a bed bug bites, it injects an anesthetic and an anticoagulant that prevents a person from knowing that they have been bitten. The bite marks may be random or appear in a straight line. Other symptoms include insomnia, anxiety and skin problems. You should avoid scratching the bite area and apply antiseptic creams or lotions and take an antihistamine.

The signs of a bed bug infestation include the bedbugs’ exoskeletons after molting, bedbugs in the fold of mattresses and sheets, rusty–colored blood spots due to their blood-filled fecal material that they excrete on the mattress or nearby furniture, and a sweet musty odor.

Not all bugs you find in your bedroom are bedbugs, you should contact a professional to be sure.

Do bedbugs spread disease?

No. Bedbugs are not known to spread disease.

Can you prevent a bed bug infestation?

You can take steps when you’re traveling or purchasing secondhand furniture to help prevent a bed bug infestation.

Officials said you should avoid picking up used mattresses or secondhand upholstered furniture because it’s hard to see if they have bedbugs in them. Other used furniture should be carefully inspected and cleaned before you bring it home.

You should scrub the furniture with soapy water or a household cleaning product to remove any bedbugs or their eggs. Second-hand clothing should be placed in a sealed, plastic bag and emptied directly into the washing machine. Wash the clothes in hot water and dry them on a high heat setting to kill bedbugs and their eggs.

When you’re visiting hotels you should inspect the room for signs of bedbugs before you unpack your luggage.

How to treat a bed bug infestation?

Taking care of a bed bug infestation is not easy.

You need to act quickly, and will likely need to call an experienced pest management professional. The professional will use several methods, either separately or in combination, to kill the bedbugs.

Bug bombs are not effective at killing bedbugs. Many “all-natural” sprays are also not effective at controlling bed beds. Officials do not recommend using rubbing alcohol to treat a home for bedbugs, it’s not very effective but it is very flammable.

More information on how to treat a bed bug infestation is available in the PDF below. (Can’t see it the PDF? Click here .)

More resources from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services:

• Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite (English) (Spanish) (Arabic)
• Michigan Manual for the Prevention and Control of Bed Bugs
• Getting the Bed Bugs Out: A guide to controlling bed bugs in your home
• Bed Bugs: What Schools Need to Know
• Bed Bugs: What Camps Need to Know
• Bed Bugs & Mattresses fact sheet
• Choosing a Pest Control Company
• How to Move and Leave Bed Bugs Behind
• Bed Bugs Management Decision Flowchart
• Bed Bugs 101 for Home Visitors Webinar
• MDCH & MPMA Bed Bug Public Service Announcement #1 (radio spot)
• MDCH & MPMA Bed Bug Public Service Announcement #2 (radio spot)
• Communicable Disease Division Publication Order Form

Copyright 2023 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

About the Author

Kayla clarke.

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.

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Bed Bug Prevention Tips for Before, During, and After Travel

Everything to know from traversing the airport to unpacking when you get home.

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A bed bug outbreak in Paris just nine months before the Olympic Games has tourists wondering how to prevent and treat those pesky critters, so Travel + Leisure spoke with experts about what to look out for and what to do if the insects do pop up. 

First things first: don’t panic. Bed bugs are annoying and difficult to get rid of, but they’re not typically dangerous, Eric Braun, a board certified entomologist and technical services manager for Terminix, told T+L. In fact, bed bugs aren’t known to transmit any diseases.

“It's the ick factor, right? They find them in areas where you're sleeping, where you're at your most vulnerable, where you feel protected and they're invading that space,” Braun said. “It's more of a psychological impact than it is a health-related impact.”

Since they’re not going to hurt you, Braun said his “main concern” isn’t getting bit, but rather “bringing them home and causing an infestation.”

From packing, to traversing the airport, to entering your hotel, and more, these preventative tips will hopefully keep your dream vacation from turning into a bug-infested nightmare.

Pick the right luggage

Bed bugs like dark cracks and crevices where they can hide, Braun said. While it’s possible for them to crawl onto any surface, they typically “like to come out when we're sedentary… so it's not probable that you're going to be walking down the airport and one is going to jump on your suitcase and tag along with you.” 

That said, they can climb onto any surface. That’s why packing in hardside luggage will make it less likely bed bugs will attach to the surface than if the suitcase was made of fabric, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene . 

Be strategic at the airport

While comfy plush chairs in lounges and dark nooks may feel like the ideal spot to wait out a layover, Braun said that’s probably not your best bet if you’re trying to avoid picking up any unwelcome friends. Picking a hard, smooth plastic chair may be a better choice over a booth, for example.

“It's less likely [to find bed bugs] in areas that are lit and [where] people aren't sitting for extended periods of time,” he said. “It's more probable that you would contract them in a darker, more private secluded space.”

But while bed bugs prefer darkness, they will still come out when it is light, according to information from the United States Environmental Protection Agency provided to T+L.

Braun recommended travelers inspect the area they are sitting thoroughly and “pick chairs or locations that have as few potential hiding spots for these insects as possible.”

As for when you're actually on the plane, airfarewatchdog.com suggests booking a morning or daytime flight.

"Since bed bugs are nocturnal, the likelihood of them coming out in the daytime is relatively lower," the site noted, (with the caveat that luggage may still be stored in a dark overhead bin).

Unpack smartly

The first thing Braun does when he checks into a hotel room is store his suitcase in the bathroom. He also avoids luggage racks.

“When I travel, I don't unpack my suitcase, I do not put anything in the provided drawers, I do not leave any clothing around the hotel in the bed [or] on the floor,” Braun said. “Everything should be stowed away neatly… my suitcase goes in the bathroom and if they have a tub, it goes in the tub. Those are areas that are less likely for the bed bugs to be.”

Travelers can also hang their clothes in the closet.

“The bed bugs would have to crawl up the wall of the closet, crawl onto the post of the hanger, crawl down the hanger and crawl into your clothing,” Braun said. “They're not really very motivated to do that.”

Per the American Hotel and Lodging Association , travelers should consider placing their suitcase “in a plastic trash bag or protective cover during the duration of your trip to ensure that bed bugs cannot take up residence there prior to departure.”

Go straight from vacation to the dryer

If travelers suspect they’ve been bitten or came into contact with bed bugs , they shouldn’t panic. Instead, they should unpack their clothing directly into the dryer first — not the washer.

“You [can] wash them after you dry them, but the high heat will kill the life stages. The water isn't hot enough to kill them so they could survive a washing,” Braun said. “You're going to remove all the clothing from the suitcase, all the clothing that you're currently wearing, and you're going to place that in the dryer on high for about 30 minutes… if you have some items that can't go in a dryer that need to be dry cleaned, you would bag them up and take them to the dry cleaner.”

Braun added: “You're going to then look at your luggage, inspect your luggage. If you suspect that there's bed bugs in the luggage, you're going to have that professionally treated.”

What to Know About Bed Bugs—and How to Avoid Them While Traveling

A recent outbreak in paris served as a crucial reminder that it’s important to know how to spot and prevent these pests from invading your sleep, belongings, and personal health..

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Few places are safe from bed bugs. Here’s what travelers should know to avoid them.

Illustration by Shutterstock

Bed bugs, you could say, are having a moment—or, perhaps, un moment .

Paris was the latest scene of an outbreak that made global headlines as the city that’s hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics scrambled to arrest a resurgence of the insects that are on every traveler’s no-go list.

But Paris is hardly alone when it comes to the pests; bed bugs can be found almost anywhere in the world and at any time.

So, what can travelers do should they encounter the pesky problem on the road? Here’s what to know.

What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are wingless parasitic insects found across the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences describes bed bugs as “blood-feeding parasites of humans, chickens, bats and occasionally domesticated animals,” and adds that they are sometimes referred to as chinches, red coats, or mahogany flats.

“Bed bugs have probably been associated with humans for more than 100,000 years,” says Rob Anderson , an associate professor in the biology department at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, who teaches a class on blood-feeding pests, which include bed bugs as well as mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, and other insects. “They are obligate blood feeders, which means they must have blood to survive and reproduce.”

Considered nest parasites—organisms that reside in the immediate area where the animal host (that would include you) spends most of its time—they live off the blood or skin tissue of the host animal. “Bed bugs are aptly named because they hang out in and around the bedroom where their blood hosts spend lots of time and reliably return. Bed bugs only come onto a host such as a human to blood feed then return to a nearby crevice or hiding place to digest the blood ,” says Anderson.

Adult bed bugs are flat and oval-shaped, grow to about 4 to 5 mm long, and are equipped with “piercing-sucking mouthparts, so they bite and suck blood like a mosquito” according to the University of Florida.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says two species of bed bugs are “usually implicated in human infestations”— Cimex lectularius and C. hemipterus , the former of which is considered cosmopolitan (meaning they are “found or present all over the world,” says Anderson) and the latter appear mostly in the tropics and subtropics.

Bed bugs most often feed on people at night while they sleep and tend to bite the exposed upper part of the body. And while they’re undoubtedly a nuisance, bed bugs are not considered to be “effective vectors of disease” according to the CDC, which notes that the primary medical risk is associated with inflammation from their bites.

Where are bed bugs commonly found?

Bed bugs are some of the world’s most ubiquitous travelers.

“They are to be found in street-side hostels, huts in small villages, and first-class hotels,” says Anderson.

“Many hotel chains regularly deal with them, but they seldom admit it because it’s not good for business,” he says, attributing the presence of bed bugs in hotels to the “the nature of their transitory, ever-changing clientele,” he wrote in an email to AFAR.

According to the CDC’s website, bed bug infestations tend to happen near areas where people sleep, which could mean anywhere from hotels and cruise ships to buses and trains.

The bugs tend to feed at night and hide during the day in the seams of mattresses, behind headboards, inside cracks and crevices in a room, in bed frames, furnishings, and box springs, among other locales, according to the CDC.

Once inside a dwelling, says Anderson, bed bugs’ numbers can build up long before humans even notice them—especially if there are pets in the house that they can feed on. That’s because pets might take the brunt of the early blood-feeding attention of the initial few bed bugs introduced, he says, before they’re present in enough numbers to attract the attention of humans.

He adds, “They move around the world every day with travelers (usually hitching rides in luggage) and sometimes to home where they may establish.”

For people who bring bed bugs home with them from their travels, Anderson warns you might not realize you have a stowaway until some time after returning home.

How do you know if you have bed bugs?

The most common sign of having bed bugs or having been exposed to them is the appearance of their bite marks on your upper body, namely on the face, arms, neck, or hands, after sleeping someplace where they live.

“Often the red spots are in groups of two or three because bed bugs often poke their needle-like mouthparts into the skin several times until they lacerate good blood vessels with enough blood to flow and feed on,” says Anderson.

According to the CDC website, most people won’t feel the bed bug bite itself when it happens since the insects inject an anesthetic and anticoagulant when they bite their victim (how thoughtful of the buggers).

“They tend to feed at night when people are sleeping because they’re less likely to be detected, and they only stay on the human skin for as long as it takes to feed,” says Anderson, adding, “after which they return to the nearest hiding place, some kind of crevice.”

You can look for signs of bed bugs—both their physical forms in the crevices of mattresses and folds of sheets as well as signs of rust-colored blood spots on your mattress (it comes from them being crushed and their fecal material, which is filled with blood, according to the CDC). “The adults are easily visible,” Anderson says. “In large infestations, they often leave a line of blackish, stinking blood feces deposited wherever they hide when off the blood host.”

Look for a dark line right where the mattress or box spring sits against the bedroom wall, he says, which is an indicator that bed bugs are present.

If you bring bed bugs into your home from your travels, you may want to contact a reliable pest control company to help quell an outbreak.

What should you do if you do get bed bugs?

If you get bed bug bites, try to avoid scratching them, as that’s likely to cause more problems by opening up your skin to secondary infections, Anderson says.

Thankfully, “They’re not transmitters of worrisome pathogens as far as an astounding amount of evidence goes,” he adds. “But the bites can be annoying, especially for people with allergic sensitivity to the saliva bed bugs inject when they are feeding (as all blood feeding pests do).”

To relieve the itchiness, he suggests applying topical antihistamines such as Benadryl spray. (As with the use of any drug, consult with a doctor beforehand to make sure you’re not allergic or to address any other concerns.)

If you suspect a bed bug invasion where you live, contact a trusted pest control company experienced in treating bed bugs to inquire about fumigation services and other available methods of dealing with them.

What are the best ways to avoid getting bed bugs?

You’re at risk of encountering bed bugs both at home and nearly any place you travel.

According to the CDC, “Anyone who travels frequently and shares living and sleeping quarters where other people have previously slept has a higher risk of being bitten and/or spreading a bed bug infestation.”

Lyndsey Matthews, senior commerce editor at AFAR, and a firm believer of never putting your suitcase on your bed (in part to help prevent the spread of bed begs), has herself experienced bed bugs three times and has some advice.

“They are bigger than you think—an adult is the size of an apple seed,” she says, so look for them in the seams of headboards and mattress and under sheets, where you may find their eggs, feces, or the bugs themselves.

When you get home from a trip, she suggests washing and drying everything on high heat. If your suitcase can’t be washed in a washing machine, it’s a good idea to steam clean it at a high temperature, she says.

There are some things you can do to avoid bringing bed bugs home with you, too.

Anderson says you can reduce the risk of bed bugs invading your bags and suitcases by keeping them inside well-sealed large garbage bags when staying in temporary housing, including hotels. He says he inspects any hotel room or apartment he rents to look for the obvious signs of bed bugs and checks his belongings for signs of them, too, before packing up and returning home.

In 37 years of traveling around the world and doing research on bed bugs, Anderson says he’s encountered them and been bitten by more than his fair share—but he has so far managed to avoid bringing any of the insects back home with him as a souvenir.

“Bed bugs have been an occupational hazard for me because of the travel to the tropics and often staying in remote, very rudimentary digs in field research sites where bed bugs just exist in significant numbers,” he says. “I’m pretty rigorous about inspecting my luggage, or spraying it or sealing it in containers if I suspect there are bed bugs wherever I’m staying at a given time.”

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Trip Planning

The truth about bed bugs (and how to deal while traveling).

Encountering bed bugs while traveling can be a nightmare. It’s right up there with getting robbed and contracting a tropical disease as one of the things we all hope will never happen to us. But just like other risks that come with travel, there are ways to reduce your chances and prevent these awful critters from getting the best of you.

Where You Find Bed Bugs

A common misconception is that bed bugs are only found in cheap, dirty hotels or hostels. This is not true! In fact, bed bugs actually prefer cleaner environments, and they do not discriminate between budget accommodations and luxury properties. And it doesn’t stop there – bed bugs are sometimes found in office buildings, movie theaters, other people’s homes, and many other places. Not much is off limits.

Beg bugs are like little vampires – they feed off of human blood. They usually do this at night while we’re sleeping, which is why they’re most commonly found in and near mattresses. But they can also be on the walls, in the headboard, in the carpet, or in other furniture like a couch or that dresser in your hotel room.

How to Spot Bed Bugs

It might feel a little paranoid, but a few minutes spent checking your room can prevent a lot of pain and annoyance. Unfortunately bed bugs are small – usually 4 to 5mm at most – so they’re easy to miss. They are about the size and shape of an apple seed . But you don’t have to see the actual bug to have a good idea that there’s an infestation.

Here are two main things to look for, other than the bugs themselves, to determine if your room has a bed bug problem:

Stains : Bed bugs leave behind tiny black or brown stains as small as the period at the end of this sentence. And if the bug gets squashed, you could see slightly bigger, rust-colored stains. Look for these stains on the sheets and on the mattress itself.

Shells : Bed bugs usually lay their eggs in the mattress, so you could find tiny eggs and eggshells, about 1mm small. They also shed pale yellow skins as they grow larger, which will stick around on the mattress as well.

How to Inspect Your Room for Bed Bugs

The important thing to remember is the sizes you’re dealing with. Bed bugs and the incriminating evidence they leave behind are all really small, so you have to look closely. Here’s what to do as soon as you get into your hotel or hostel room:

• Put your suitcase or backpack in the bathroom. If you can prop it on the tub or counter instead of on the floor, even better. Obviously this won’t work if you’re staying in a dorm room or even a private room with a shared bathroom. But do the best you can to keep your luggage off the bed and off the floor, especially carpets.
• Look very closely at the sheets for tiny stains, eggs, and shedded skins. You should pull back the blankets and look at the entire length of the sheets as well as the blankets themselves.
• Take the sheets off the bed and inspect the mattress. Use a credit card or something similar to check out the crevices and seams where the tiny bugs are likely to hide.
• If possible, flip the mattress to check the other side, and inspect the boxspring, bed frame, and headboard.
• If there is other furniture in your room, like a couch, night table, etc., it’s worth taking a close look and repeating these steps to make sure there aren’t any bugs or signs of bed bugs.

If you suspect bed bugs, ask for another room or even consider switching hotels . Just because one room is infested doesn’t mean the entire hotel is, but it’s also not so hard for the bugs to move from one room to another.

Packing for a Bed Bug Ridden World

Before you even leave home, there are certain things you can do to reduce your chances of having bed bugs hitch a ride . Because as awful as the bites are, bringing the bugs home with you could lead to an all out nightmare.

When choosing hotels or hostels, check BedBugRegistry.com . Hopefully any hotel on the list has dealt with the problem, but if there are multiple complaints or something recent, it’s best to stay somewhere else.

If you’re flying and checking luggage, wrap your bag in plastic. Bed bugs can live on other people’s luggage and migrate over to yours, but if your bag is sealed up in plastic (obviously make sure what you use is approved by security regulations) the bugs can’t get in.

When choosing luggage , consider hard-sided suitcases instead of soft-sided suitcases. Bed bugs can get into the tiniest of places, and the fabric of a soft suitcase provides plenty of hiding places. If you must have a soft suitcase, choose lighter colors rather than dark ones because it will be easier to find bugs.

Since bed bugs die in high heat, pack clothing that can be washed at high temperatures and put in the dryer. Don’t pack clothing that has to be washed at cooler temperatures or can only be hand-washed.

(Unfortunately, this means our beloved merino wool is not a great fit if you should get bed bugs.)

While you’re traveling, don’t put your clothes on the floor or on the bed in your hotel room. Even if you’ve inspected the room and don’t see any signs of bed bugs, you can’t be 100% sure. It’s possible to miss small signs, and it’s possible for bed bugs to come into your room a day or two later.

At the end of your trip, wash all of your clothing before coming home. If this isn’t an option, put all your clothes in plastic bags, and don’t open the bags until you’re home in front of your washing machine. You don’t want to give those bugs any window of opportunity to take over your house.

These posts are also helpful:

• Why You Should Clean Your Luggage After a Trip
• Unpacking After a Trip in 5 Easy Steps

How to Treat Bed Bugs

If you do unfortunately come in contact with bed bugs, there are several things you need to do to stop the problem from spreading. This includes treating your luggage and belongings as well as the bites themselves.

Treating with heat Wash all of your clothing in the highest temperature possible, and then put everything through a hot cycle in the dryer. The heat kills the bugs and their eggs.

For things that can’t be put in the washing machine, seal them up in black plastic bags and leave in the sun for several days. This isn’t as good a method, but the temperature inside the bag should get hot enough to kill any bugs or eggs.

Treating with cold Freezing temperatures can kill bed bugs too, but this isn’t as effective as high temperatures. If you have something that can’t withstand high heat, it will need to stay in the freezer for several days.

Treating your home If you bring bed bugs back to your home, you’ll need to do some serious damage control. Vacuum everything: the carpets, the couches, under furniture, every little crack and crevice where a bug could hide. It’s worth calling an exterminator for further advice and possible services.

Treating the bites Everyone reacts differently to bed bug bites. They often don’t show up right away (making it all the more difficult to know exactly where you got them from) and some people don’t react at all. They look like any other bug bite, but they’re usually in lines or clusters.

If you do react badly, anti-itch creams like calamine lotion should help. Antihistamines can help reduce the itching and discomfort as well. Like anything that makes you itch, resist scratching! The bites usually get better within a few days to a week or so.

My Personal Experience with Bed Bugs While Traveling

After years of travel to all different parts of the world, my luck with bed bugs ran out in Prague last summer. My husband and I sprung for a nicer hotel than normal because it was our anniversary, but as I mentioned earlier, the quality of the hotel does not affect its chances of having bed bugs.

On our first day there, I saw a bug on the bed. We had the window open and it was June, so I wasn’t surprised a bug might be in there. But I should’ve paid more attention to what the bug looked like.

There were a couple tiny pin-point sized stains on the sheets, but years of traveling in low-end places have made me less picky about things like this. Again, this was another sign of bed bugs I ignored.

After sleeping there for a few nights, I woke up with a few bites. I’m one of those people mosquitoes find from miles away, so this didn’t alarm me.

It wasn’t until we got home, after sleeping at this hotel for four nights, than I started seeing enough bites to be concerned. The bites were in lines up and down my arms, face, neck, shoulders, back, legs, feet, and even a line of bites along my hip and bikini line. Yeah, those were fun. Overall I counted more than 50 bug bites .

My husband ended up with maybe a dozen tiny bites that showed up after mine did. His barely itched and they went away quickly. Mine left me in tears they itched so badly, and I had to get calamine lotion and antihistamine drops to deal with the pain and itchiness.

Lesson learned: Always know what the signs are and check your hotel room to avoid a painful encounter with bed bugs while traveling.

Written by Ali

Ali Garland is a freelance writer, blogger, and travel addict who made it to all 7 continents before her 30th birthday. She enjoys travel planning, encouraging others to see the world, and packing carry-on only. She and her husband are expats living in Berlin. You can find Ali at Ali's Adventures and Travel Made Simple .

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Reader Interactions

March 9, 2017 at 10:54 am

Great info! Do you know if bed bugs have any preference with climate? Are they more often found in dry or humid weather?

March 9, 2017 at 2:19 pm

Yikes!!! Thanks for the interesting article. I’m going to make sure to inspect all of our rooms when we arrive. Those bites look painful!

March 10, 2017 at 1:17 pm

If you have room to pack a small hand held clothes steamer, the heat from the steam can kill them as well. Bonus, it’s chemical free & can safely be used on your clothes.

March 12, 2017 at 10:06 pm

My boyfriend and I ended up with bed bugs in our home. He barely reacted at all to their bites, but my bites got very swollen and itchy, just like yours. They are a terrible pain to get rid of when they’re in your home, so I am very diligent when it comes to checking for any signs of bed bugs while I’m traveling. The giant XL size ziplock bags are great for putting small luggage, backpacks, and purses in while on planes, in cars, or in hotels/hostels.

March 13, 2017 at 9:57 pm

My sister got bed bugs when travelling and it’s made me totally paranoid about putting my case on beds. The bathroom thing is a great idea.

April 8, 2017 at 1:33 pm

I have travelled all over and never had an issue with bedbugs until I took a short weekend trip to San Diego. I stayed in a very nice hotel on the beach. It’s true, bedbugs don’t discriminate.

May 19, 2017 at 10:22 pm

2001 I stayed a week in Miami in Miami’s Fontainebleau Hotel (a 4-star I think). I brought back ONE bedbug (it did not procreate). It terrorized me for 6 months. I sprayed my bed with bug spray and had really bad sleep nightly (kept waking up) but I kept getting bitten, until I spent a week away from home in spring time. The night I got back I had a hunch that it might be hungry. I got in bed not moving but the light was on and my eyes open and scanning. I got lucky that I saw it moved across the back of my hand that was resting on top of the comforter. I actually caught it (it ran fast!). From that day on, I had not had a single bite at home.

Since then I travel with several sheets of jumbo semi clear garbage bags. They weight nothing. I put my luggage inside the bag and tie it u tight at night and when I leave the room. I also don’t put out clothing items. Whatever I am not wearing, they go back to the luggage that’s shielded inside trash bag. These bags are not the most durable that’s why I bring several in case of breakage or holes by squeezing my luggage into lockers etc..

May 20, 2017 at 12:08 pm

Is there any kind of spray to use?

January 15, 2018 at 6:47 pm

When I have travel I often spray and keep spraying my luggage with pure lavender oil. I also spray the bed I am sleeping in as well.

Peppermint oil can ward off spiders.

Teetree oil can ward off mosquitos.

March 17, 2019 at 11:35 am

Put a soap bar under the bottom sheet. Wait an hour and then inspect. If there are bed bugs they will be on the soap. Keep the soap bar under the sheet and occasionally check. We travel with soap bars every trip. That soap bar also cures restless and cramping legs

Leave A Reply Cancel reply

• EXPLORE Random Article

How to Avoid Bed Bugs when Traveling

Last Updated: May 25, 2021 References

This article was co-authored by Kevin Carrillo . Kevin Carrillo is a Pest Control Specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area. MMPC is certified by the industry’s leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC's work has been featured in CNN, NPR, and ABC News. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 56,240 times.

Imagine finally finding time to take a much needed vacation. Then, when you return home relaxed and feeling rejuvenated, you discover you now have a bed bug problem! It is no surprise that traveling is one of the easiest ways to bring the unwelcome pests into your home. While traveling, there are several precautions you should take to keep this nightmare from happening.

Booking Your Trip

• Keep in mind that negative comments may simply be an unhappy guest who just wants to ruin the hotel’s reputation. However, if you see several comments around the same topic like bed bugs, consider it a legitimate concern.

• Enjoy the outdoors Head to the nearest camp ground and sleep under the stars or in a cozy tent. Many camps are extremely clean, and offer hot showers for very reasonable rates.

During Your Hotel Stay

• Bugs are brown with a long, oval shaped body. Most are tiny, about the size of an apple seed but they can be larger, about the size of a nickel. You should also look for black fecal matter and a musty smell. [1] X Trustworthy Source United States Environmental Protection Agency Independent U.S. government agency responsible for promoting safe environmental practices Go to source

• Place the luggage rack away from any furniture. If the closet is large enough, keep it in there.

• Before wearing any garment, shake it out as an extra precaution.

• If you forget, ask the hotel to supply something like an extra trash bag.

• Do not move to an adjacent room. Request a move to another floor.

Returning Home

• If your luggage is a dark color it may be difficult to see. Use a lint roller, covering the entire bag, seams and zippers. [4] X Research source

• Don’t hang dry your clothes either. Tossing items into a scorching hot dryer will kill the bugs.
• Even items that weren’t worn should be washed. Bugs could have crawled throughout the bag. Better to be safe than sorry.
• Shoes can be wiped down with a cloth and some hot water. Leave them outside in the sunlight if possible for a couple of hours too.

• Never store suitcases under your bed.

• Contact a professional to discuss the extermination options available to you. They may recommend chemical or steam treatments. [9] X Research source
• Research pesticides but be clear on their use. While some are great for indoors, others can only be used outside. [10] X Trustworthy Source United States Environmental Protection Agency Independent U.S. government agency responsible for promoting safe environmental practices Go to source

Expert Q&A

• If you happen to notice that white powder is present within drawers, the closet, or around floorboards, it is likely that the room has already been treated for bed bugs. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Don't avoid travel for the fear of bed bugs. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1
• Bed bugs can reproduce quickly so don't procrastinate with treating a problem. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 4

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs
• ↑ Kevin Carrillo. Pest Control Specialist. Expert Interview. 22 October 2019.
• ↑ https://www.bedbugs.umn.edu/travelers/inspecting-your-hotel-room-bed-bugs
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XWKhsaBaic
• ↑ http://www.orkin.com/other/bed-bugs/bedbug-bites/
• ↑ http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pdf/bb-heat1.pdf
• ↑ https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/pesticides-control-bed-bugs

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Lifestylogy

15 Ways Bed Bugs Can Find Their Way Into Your Home

Posted: April 4, 2024 | Last updated: April 4, 2024

Bed bugs, the tiny pests that have coexisted with humans for thousands of years, are notorious for their stealthy way of life and their ability to spread rapidly from one place to another. Despite their small size, bed bugs can cause a significant amount of stress and discomfort, making it crucial to understand how they enter our homes. This guide uncovers the various pathways bed bugs use to invade our personal spaces, from the luggage of travelers to the pages of library books. Armed with this knowledge, we can take preventative measures to protect our homes from these unwelcome visitors.

Bed bugs are notorious hitchhikers, often coming home with you from hotels, hostels, or Airbnb stays. These pests can latch onto luggage, clothing, and personal belongings, finding a new home wherever these items are brought.

Second-hand Furniture

Acquiring furniture from thrift stores, garage sales, or online marketplaces can inadvertently introduce bed bugs into your home. These insects can hide in the crevices of sofas, beds, and dressers, waiting to emerge in their new environment.

Public Transportation

Public buses, trains, and taxis can be hotspots for bed bugs, which may attach themselves to your clothes or bags. The frequent turnover of passengers allows these pests to spread from personal belongings to public seats and back.

Guests may unknowingly bring bed bugs into your home through their clothing or bags. Bed bugs can travel from infested environments, seeking new hosts wherever people gather and stay.

Shared Laundry Facilities

Using communal laundry facilities can pose a risk, as bed bugs can transfer between items of clothing or hide in baskets and tables. These pests thrive in warm environments, making laundry areas an ideal breeding ground.

Schools and Dormitories

The high traffic and close quarters of schools and dormitories offer perfect conditions for bed bug spread. These pests can move through backpacks, clothing, and shared furniture, finding new hosts with ease.

Office buildings, especially those with shared spaces and high employee turnover, can facilitate the spread of bed bugs. They hitch a ride on personal belongings, spreading throughout the office and eventually into homes.

Borrowing books and other materials from libraries can inadvertently introduce bed bugs into your home. These pests can hide in the bindings and pages, waiting to be transported to a new environment.

Movie Theaters

The plush seats and high turnover of movie theaters make them a common source for bed bug infestations. These pests can latch onto clothing and bags, finding a new home in the cozy corners of your living room.

Hospital and Nursing Home Visits

Medical facilities, including hospitals and nursing homes, can harbor bed bugs due to the high volume of people and the presence of beds and upholstered furniture. Bringing these pests home can be as easy as placing a bag on an infested chair.

Gyms and Locker Rooms

The warm, humid environment of gyms and locker rooms, combined with the storage of personal items, provides an ideal breeding ground for bed bugs. They can travel home with you on clothing or in gym bags.

Moving Trucks

Renting moving trucks or using moving services can introduce bed bugs into your belongings, especially if the vehicle previously transported infested items. These pests can easily hide in boxes and furniture during the move.

Neighbor-to-Neighbor Transfer

In multi-unit buildings like apartments and condos, bed bugs can migrate from one unit to another through small cracks and crevices in walls, floors, and ceilings. They are attracted to warmth and carbon dioxide, which can lead them directly into adjacent homes.

Pet Bedding

While bed bugs prefer human hosts, they can also be found in pet bedding where pets rest and sleep. These pests can hitch a ride on your pet’s bedding when brought back from kennels, pet daycare, or even the vet, making their way into your home.

Delivery Packages

Bed bugs can infiltrate homes through boxes and packages. This is particularly true for items that have been stored in infested warehouses or transported in vehicles with bed bug problems. As packages make their way into your home, so can these unwelcome guests, hiding in the crevices of cardboard or within the items shipped.

In conclusion, the battle against bed bugs is a continuous one, demanding vigilance and proactive measures from all of us. By understanding the common entry points highlighted in this guide, you can significantly reduce the risk of unwittingly inviting these persistent pests into your home. Regular inspection of belongings, cautious handling of second-hand items, and maintaining cleanliness are key strategies in preventing bed bug infestations. Remember, awareness and prevention are your best tools in ensuring your living spaces remain bed bug-free.

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Protecting Your Home from Bed Bugs

Información relacionada disponible en español

Bed bugs are great hitchhikers. They can move from an infested site to a new home by traveling on furniture, bedding, luggage, boxes and clothing.

Although they typically feed on blood every 5 to 10 days, bed bugs can be quite resilient; they are capable of surviving several months to a year without feeding.

A few simple precautions can help prevent bed bug infestation in your home:

• Check secondhand furniture, beds and couches for any signs of bed bug infestation before bringing them home.
• Use a protective cover that encases mattresses and box springs to eliminate many hiding spots. The light color of the encasement makes bed bugs easier to see. Be sure to purchase a high quality encasement that will resist tearing and check the encasement regularly for holes or a cover that has been pre-treated with pesticide to control bed bugs.
• Reduce clutter in your home to reduce hiding places for bed bugs.
• Vacuum frequently to remove any successful hitchhikers.
• Be vigilant when using shared laundry facilities. Transport items to be washed in plastic bags (if you have an active infestation, use a new bag for the journey home). Remove from dryer directly into bag and fold at home. (A dryer on high heat can kill bed bugs.)
• Installing door sweeps on the bottom of doors to discourage movement into hallways.
• Sealing cracks and crevices around baseboards, light sockets, etc., to discourage movement through wall voids.
• Be sure to read and carefully follow the directions if you use one of these units and be aware that they are not regulated by EPA or other federal agencies. 
• More information on controlling bed bugs .
• Bed Bugs Home
• Learn about Bed Bugs
• — Characteristics of Bed Bugs
• — Finding Bed Bugs
• Protecting Your Home
• Protecting Yourself in Public Places
• Getting Rid of Bed Bugs
• — Do-it-yourself Bed Bug Control
• — Pesticides to Control Bed Bugs
• Bed Bug Information Clearinghouse
• Bed Bug Product Search Tool
• Finding Help with Bed Bug Problems