What Causes Bed Bugs?

The thought of a single bug crawling over us while we sleep is bad enough. But hundreds of tiny blood-suckers that live, eat and reproduce right in the bed with you? That’s the stuff of nightmares. For a bed bug, though, life couldn’t be better. “A bed has many cracks and crevices to hide and breed [in],” says David Price, ACE, an associate certified entomologist and technical services director for Mosquito Joe pest control. “They need to be next to their food source and prefer to feed when we are at rest.” Great.

Bed bug infestations have surged in recent decades, and they’re a very difficult pest to control. Insecticides worked for a while, especially DDT, which was developed in 1939 and used heavily during World War II. But, bed bugs quickly adapted, and by the time DDT was banned in 1972 due to devastating effects on people and wildlife, they were already resistant to DDT and similar pesticides.

So, that’s the bad news. Is there any good news? What causes bed bugs? Can you stop them? What should you do if you see one? We talked to Price and two other entomologists to get all the details on how to fight back against these stubborn, bloodthirsty pests.

What Is a Bed Bug?

Bed bugs are “true bugs,” which means they have mouthparts that pierce and suck as opposed to bite and chew. “They are called bed bugs because they need to be next to their food source and predominately feed during the night when we are sleeping in our beds,” Price says. “This is also where they will breed.” Price adds that bed bugs need the blood of people or other mammals to survive, so this arrangement works out great for them.

Price says bed bugs originated in the mountain ranges of the Middle East, and as people moved around the world, so did bed bugs. “They do not have wings or specialized legs for jumping, so they crawl onto our belongings to hitch a ride,” says Jody Green, Ph.D., an urban entomologist at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln.

Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed and lay pinhead-sized eggs that are translucent. The intermediate stage, called nymphs, are just a few millimeters long, Price says. So, all of the stages are hard to see, and you may never know you have them until they take a bite (or several) out of you while you sleep.

What Causes Bed Bugs?

Travel is a major factor in causing bed bugs to spread. Bed bugs don’t live on people, but they do use us to get around. “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 and technical services manager at Rentokil Terminix. “That has made it much easier for bed bugs to hitchhike and move on personal items, planes, ships and people.”

If you’re worried bed bugs are caused by dirty living conditions or poor sanitation, don’t be. The only thing bed bugs eat is blood; they don’t care if that blood is from a clean freak or someone who prefers to rough it. One thing that can be a factor, though, is proximity. “In the last several decades, North Americans have become increasingly urbanized, moving closer together in cities,” Braun says. “The closer we live in proximity to one another, the easier it is for bed bugs to spread.”

How To Prevent Bed Bugs

As with most bugs, exclusion is the best way to prevent bed bugs. Unfortunately, sealing up cracks and crevices in your home won’t do it, since that’s not how bed bugs get around (and they don’t live outside). “Typically, they are brought into the home via luggage, visiting a location that has them,” Price says. “Also, they can hitch a ride on your clothing if you visit a location that has them in the furniture.”

Here’s how to keep bed bugs from tagging along home with you:

• Travel smart. “If you travel, then be aware of the locations you are spending the night at,” Price says. Even though poor sanitation doesn’t cause bed bugs, a place with spotty management, cleaning or clientele might not put “checking for bed bugs” on the top of their list. Online reviews are a great place to start.
• Shine a flashlight. When you travel, “bring a flashlight and pull the covers back to check around the seams and the headboard, looking for bed bugs or the fecal matter and blood spots,” Price says.
• Inspect used furniture. Price says bed bugs aren’t exclusive to beds, easily infesting other furniture where people rest or sit for long periods of time. Think twice about picking up that old couch on the street, and really look for signs of infestation before bringing any used furniture home.
• Buy a mattress cover. Look for mattress encasements with bed bug-blocking technology. Regular over-the-top mattress covers won’t help.
• Use technology. Crowdsourced bed bug tracking apps alert you to known bed bug infestations, and there are devices that claim to detect bed bugs in hotels and other new locations you visit. These apps have limitations, so use them with caution.

How To Get Rid of Bed Bugs

It’s tough to get rid of bed bugs. Even if you vacuum your bed obsessively, check your luggage after traveling and never buy a used recliner. Once you have them they’re very hard to eradicate. Green says they can survive without a blood meal for 6 to 12 months, and it takes four days at 0 degrees F to kill one. “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,” Green says.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a list of approved bed bug insecticides, but Price again notes their tiny size. “This makes it hard to detect exactly where they are in the cracks and crevices, and some of those cracks and crevices may be hard to reach.” Bottom line: “If you see one, then it is best to contact a professional.”

About the Experts

• David Price, ACE, is the director of technical services at Mosquito Joe, a Neighborly company. Price is an associate-certified entomologist and a previous vice president of the Central Virginia Pest Management Association.
• Eric Braun, BCE, is a board-certified entomologist with Rentokil Terminix. Braun has a bachelor’s degree in entomology from the University of Delaware, and has over 26 years of experience in pest control.
• Jody Green, Ph.D., is an urban entomologist at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln. A board-certified entomologist, Green works with the public as an extension educator and pest control expert.

Sources

EPA: Bed Bugs Appearance and Life Cycle

EPA: Pesticides to Control Bed Bugs