What causes bed bugs?

What causes bed bugs, and how can I avoid bringing them into my home?

Bedbugs (Cimex lectularius), sometimes called chinches, don’t just appear out of nowhere. These pests are excellent hitchhikers, meaning they often spread by travelling on personal items such as:

• Luggage
• Clothing
• Secondhand furniture
• Bedding

If you’ve been in a place where bed bugs are already present, they can latch onto your belongings and make their way into your home.

They are commonly picked up in hotels, dorms, public transit, or even theatres—anywhere people sit or sleep for extended periods. Bringing in used furniture or mattresses is another way you can inadvertently bring them into your home.

Bed bugs are attracted to humans from the carbon dioxide from our breath, the scent of exposed skin, and body heat as they seek out their next blood meal. These pests are just as likely to show up in clean homes or a five-star hotel room as anywhere else.

Signs of bed bugs

If you’re wondering how you can tell if you have bed bugs, common signs include

• Small, rust-colored spots on sheets, 
• Shed skins
• Seeing the bugs themselves - they are small, flat, reddish-brown insects about the size of an apple seed.
• Visible bites on the skin
   

Getting rid of bed bugs

It’s important to note that DIY solutions for bed bugs may only provide temporary relief. These pests are notoriously difficult to control because they hide in small spaces, such as cracks and crevices. For long-term protection and to address the root cause of the infestation, it’s best to seek professional bed bug control services.