What Causes Bed Bugs? | Reader’s Digest

The first thing to understand about bed bugs is that their only food source is blood. The common household bed bug needs to feed on human blood both to live and to breed. So what causes bed bugs is essentially us.

Bed bugs dont have the ability to leap or fly, so to get close to their food source they hitch a ride on us and our belongings. Once theyve arrived at their destination, they seek out places where we humans nap or sleep, they hide out, and they wait. Bed bugs are able to sense, by body heat or the carbon dioxide we emit when breathing, when their human host is asleep, then they quietly crawl onto our skin and settle in for a blood meal.

Some of the most common causes of bed bugs are:

Bed bugs were nearly wiped out in the 1950s by the pesticide DDT. But in 1972, DDT was banned because it was found to be dangerous to humans, wildlife, and the environment. Bed bugs are hardy insects, and the ones that survived did so because they were resistant to DDT (and other pesticides). These super bed bugs kept living and breedingeach female can lay three to five eggs per day and hundreds in her lifetime, depending on conditions.

Their resistance to pesticides combined with increasing ability to spread via global travel, population growth, and urban living contributed to the resurgence that has occurred in the United States. Today, one out of five Americans has experienced a bed bug infestation or knows someone who has encountered these pests, says Brittany Campbell, PhD, an entomologist with the National Pest Management Association (NPMA).

No; for the most part, the only time bed bugs are on humans is when theyre feeding, but they do rely on us to get around. Bed bugs travel with us, so however we may travel, they will travel, says Jody Green PhD, an urban entomologist at the University of NebraskaLincoln.

They do not have wings or specialized legs for jumping, so they crawl onto our belongings to hitch a ride. And theyre not picky about their mode of transportationbackpacks, luggage, purses, car seats, wheelchairs, wigs, toys, and sleeping bags are all common forms of transit for bed bugs.

Yes, and travel is a big factor in what causes bed bugs. Global travel has increased exponentially in the last several decades, as it has become cheaper and more accessible for a wider percentage of the population, says Eric Braun, a board-certified entomologist for Rentokil Steritech, a pest control company. That has made it much easier for bed bugs to hitchhike and move on personal items, planes, ships, and people. If you travel a lot, you definitely want to knowhow to spot bed bugs in your hotel room.

Bed bugs arent partial to any particular locale; they will make a home just about anywhere they find us. What causes bed bugs to choose a location is based on how and where humans live. In the last several decades, North Americans have become increasingly urbanized, moving closer together in cities. The closer we live in proximity to one another, the easier it is for bed bugs to spread, says Braun.

Its hard to pass up a good deal on a nearly new sofa, but before you buy it, consider what could lie in its folds and crevices. That sofa could harbor bed bugs or bed bug eggs, which might not be observed immediately, Braun cautions. Be vigilant and inspect furniture thoroughly before bringing it into your home.

Bed bugs are champion crawlers and move quickly. Over the course of a night, they could find their way down a long hallway, says Braun. Plus they can survive without a blood meal for 6 to 12 months, Green says, which is part of the reason theyre so hard to spot and get rid of.

Climate does not affect bed bugs because they live with us in our homes and we keep it at the optimal temperature for both us and them, says Green. Do chilly temps kill bed bugs? Only under the right conditions. According to Green, the temperature has to drop to 0F for four days to kill a bed bug. So bed bugs could survive a while in your car before hitching a ride into your house. Thats why youll want to know the telltale signs of bed bugs in your car.

Green offers this helpful analogy: Think of bed bugs like germs. We carry germs around; they need people to survive, but sometimes we leave germs in places, and other people pick them up and get sick. All people are exposed, everyone can get sick from germs, but not all people do get sick. Not every case is the same, but all cases can be preventable with awareness, communication, and education. Knowing these 16 secrets about bed bugs will help you to keep them at bay.

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What Causes Bed Bugs? | Reader's Digest