Dealing with bed bugs is never easy. Your home and body can be in turmoil over the
introduction of these unwelcome invaders. Additionally, there is a stigma associated with the infestation
of bed bugs and confusion in how to handle them. When facing a bed bug infestation, many people
wonder “How did these insects get into my house?” or “What caused these bed bugs?” The answer to
this question is complex, and more than one method of introduction of the bugs may have taken place.
Let’s take a look at what causes bed bugs to take up residence in your home.

Bed bugs are small, parasitic insects that are only a quarter of an inch in length. While adults
make be a pale yellow to rusty brown color, juvenile bugs are small and often translucent— possible,
but not easily detected with the naked eye. Bed bug eggs are just as difficult to find, being only the size
of a poppy seed and pearly white in color. These pests are difficult to find not only due to their size but
because they prefer to hide in small cracks and crevices, often no wider than the edge a credit card. Bed
bugs tend to stay hidden during the day, and prefer to feed upon their hosts during night hours,
sometimes as late as one hour before dawn.

Other than shelter, the main factor that causes bed bugs to be attracted to our home is none other than us. Bed
bugs are attracted to the carbon dioxide we exhale, and feed on a diet exclusively of human and animal
blood. This is how they earned the name “bed bugs” as they often feed on sleeping hosts and bite on
exposed skin along the edge of a blanket or sheet. Bed bugs can be introduced to your household
through hitching a ride from an infested location on your household pet or your clothing, hoping to later
feed. If you have bed bugs learn how to get rid of them here.

Another way bed bugs are introduced to a location is simply a matter of proximity. If a nearby
home or apartment building has a bed bug infestation, the insects can spread to your home through air
vents or ducts, and even crawl through pipes. Even uninhabited buildings can house bed bugs, as they
can remain dormant and survive for months without feeding.

Bed bugs can remain dormant or hide on secondhand belongings as well. When buying furniture
or clothing secondhand, be sure to thoroughly inspect and clean all items immediately, as bed bugs can
only live in a range of 46°-113° Fahrenheit. Bed bugs like to hide in cramped, confined spaces like around
the seams of couch cushions or along the bottom of box springs. This is particularly true of wooden bed
frames that you purchase secondhand, as bed bugs prefer them to metal ones. By steam cleaning all
items before they enter your home, you are using a proactive method to prevent bed bugs from
spreading into your home. If you are worried about infestation around a specific piece of furniture,
disposing of it is not enough—you also need to treat your home to prevent when the bed bugs may have
spread.

How Does Traveling Cause Bed Bugs?

When you travel, you run the risk of coming home with more than just souvenirs and
memories—bed bugs can stowaway in your belongings or on your clothing from the sheets of hotel beds
or furniture at other public places frequented by many visitors. Make sure to check the sheets and blankets of anywhere you stay, including underneath pillows. It can be helpful to use a hard suitcase for your belongings to prevent bed bugs from finding an inviting hiding place, and to seal all your clothing in Ziploc bags to prevent bed bugs from hiding between the folds of stored outfits. You can further reduce
the risk of contracting bed bugs by storing your suitcase on the top of a dresser instead of on the floor or
bed. Make sure to thoroughly inspect all of your belonging before leaving and after arriving home, and
to wash all clothing upon your return. For items that cannot be washed, wipe them down with a
disinfectant wipe—though simply being dirty is enough to attract bed bugs, it never hurts to take extra
precautions against these pests.

Does Clutter And Filth Cause An Infestation Of Bed Bugs?

A widely held myth about bed bugs is that they only infest unclean living spaces, but this is not
the case. Bed bugs are not attracting to dirty spaces, but to carbon dioxide and warmth. As human
beings exhale dioxide and we require warmth in our shelters, there is no avoiding these attractive
factors, but being vigilant and monitoring for signs of bed bugs is key to preventing their infestation.
While it does not cause bed bugs, clutter or crowded spaces in your household create hiding places for
the pests. Try to remove any untidiness you can, and routinely check around items that make be prime
hideaways for bed bugs. Vacuuming regularly also prevents bed bugs from hiding in carpeted areas in
your home. Rodents can provide bed bugs with a taxi into your home—make sure your house provides
no cracks or small openings that could possibly attract rodents who, along with causing their own
trouble, could bring bed bugs with them

Another myth surrounding bed bugs is that, since bed bugs prefer darkness, sleeping with the
lights on will prevent bed bugs from resurging or feeding—but this is not true. Bed bugs will come out
from their hiding places to feed regardless of the amount of light in a room, and if you went the extra
mile to douse yourself in insecticide, that may not have an effect either. Certain bed bugs have
developed a resistant to pesticides, and this is what makes bed bugs so difficult to exterminate.
A large factor that causes the infestation of bed bugs is ignorance on the subject—by reading
this article you are taking the first step in learning how to better protect your household from bed bugs
and how to prevent them from infesting your home.