Where did they come from, and how did they get in my home

Bed bugs are found in temperate climates throughout the world and were once thought of as exterminated in the Western hemisphere through the use of DDT.

Since DDT was found to be a carcinogenic substance and was prevented from being used, the bed bug has made a comeback.
Dwellings can become infested with bed bugs through several means. People can often acquire bedbugs at hotels, motels, or bed-and-breakfasts, and bring them back to their homes in their luggage.

They also can pick them up by inadvertently bringing infested furniture or used clothing to their household. If someone is in a place that is severely infested, bedbugs may actually crawl onto and be carried by people’s clothing, although this is atypical behaviour – except in the case of severe infestations, bed bugs are not usually carried from place to place by people on clothing they are wearing.

Bed bugs may travel between units in multi-unit dwellings, such as condominiums and apartment buildings, after being originally brought into the building by one of the above routes. Bed bugs can also be transmitted via animals including wild birds and household pets.

Published in Bed Bug 101