What Attracts Bed Bugs?
Unlike pests that go after crumbs or trash, bed bugs are after one thing: blood. They're attracted to the signs of a nearby host, not dirt or mess. In this blog, we’ll break down exactly what draws bed bugs in and how you can reduce your risk of bringing them home.
What Brings Bed Bugs Into The House?
Bed bugs usually get into your home by hitching a ride on people, luggage, or secondhand items—not by crawling in from outside like ants or roaches. They’re expert travelers and often spread through shared spaces, travel, or infested furniture.
Here are the most common ways bed bugs end up in your home:
- Travel: Staying in hotels, motels, or short-term rentals can expose you to bed bugs. They can cling to luggage, clothing, and personal items.
- Used furniture or mattresses: Picking up secondhand couches, beds, or dressers—especially from the curb or online marketplaces—can introduce hidden infestations.
- Visitors or houseguests: Bed bugs can come in on someone else’s belongings, especially if they’ve recently been exposed.
- Public transportation or shared seating: Places like buses, trains, theaters, and rideshares can harbor bed bugs in fabric or upholstery.
- Multi-unit housing: In apartments or condos, bed bugs can move between units through walls, electrical outlets, or shared hallways.
What Is the Main Cause of Bed Bugs?
The main cause of a bed bug infestation is unintentionally bringing them into your home from another location—usually through travel or used furniture. Bed bugs don’t show up because of mess or poor hygiene. They’re excellent hitchhikers and will take any opportunity to latch onto your belongings and settle into a new environment where people sleep or rest regularly.
Are Bed Bugs Due to Poor Hygiene?
Bed bugs are not caused by poor hygiene or lack of cleanliness. They’re only interested in one thing: finding a human host to feed on. That means even the cleanest homes, hotels, and apartments can get bed bugs if one happens to hitch a ride in your luggage, clothing, or furniture.
It’s important to note that while clutter doesn’t cause bed bugs, it can give them more places to hide, making it harder to detect or eliminate an infestation. But cleanliness itself has no effect on whether bed bugs show up—they’re equal-opportunity pests that go wherever people go.
How to Reduce the Risk of Bed Bugs Coming Into Your Home
The best way to protect your home from bed bugs is to be proactive and careful about what you bring inside. While you can’t always prevent exposure, especially in public places, there are several simple habits that can greatly lower your risk.
Here’s how to reduce the chances of bed bugs hitching a ride into your home:
- Inspect hotel rooms when you travel: Check mattress seams, headboards, and furniture for small dark spots or live bugs before settling in.
- Keep luggage off the bed and floor: Use luggage racks and store your bags in the bathroom, where bed bugs are less likely to hide.
- Unpack carefully after travel: Wash and dry clothes on high heat, and inspect luggage before bringing it into bedrooms.
- Be cautious with secondhand items: Avoid picking up used mattresses or upholstered furniture unless you can fully inspect and clean them.
- Vacuum regularly and reduce clutter: While cleanliness doesn’t stop bed bugs from entering, fewer hiding spots make it easier to spot a problem early.
- Educate guests and family members: If someone has been traveling or lives in a multi-unit building, help them take simple precautions before visiting.
How Premier Canine Detection Can Help
At Premier Canine Detection, we specialize in fast, accurate bed bug inspections using highly trained detection dogs that can locate even the smallest infestations. Whether you’re seeing signs of a problem, need a post-treatment check, or just want peace of mind, our canine teams offer a discreet, reliable solution. Don’t let bed bugs go undetected—contact Premier Canine Detection today to schedule your inspection and take the first step toward a bed bug-free home.