How Fast Can Bed Bugs Spread?

Bed bug infestations have increased in the U.S. over the years because of an increase in overseas travel and the decrease in use of DDT, a strong chemical found in insecticides deemed harmful to the environment. Bed bugs multiply quickly and can be carried from location to location to infest more areas.

Reproduction

• A female bedbug lays about 200 to 300 eggs in her lifetime, which averages about a year. Each time, three eggs are laid and hatch in about six to 10 days. So, if given a warm home, a female bed bug can lay over 20 eggs weekly leading to 20 more bed bugs in about two weeks, and the cycle continues.

Spread

• Bed bugs do not spend a long amount of time on humans. They prefer to latch on to mattresses, sheets, clothes and even luggage after they've fed on a human. Because of this, they can be carried from place to place easily. Once they've settled in some place new, they can begin to mate and females can lay eggs to infest a new location.

  However, you don't need to have traveled to have an infestation. Beg bugs can crawl between floors in apartment buildings and be brought to your home by bats or birds that may get into your house and leave the bed bugs behind.

Potential Locations

• Common places where you could pick up bed bugs include hotels, apartment buildings, military barracks, homeless shelters and college dormitories. Cleanliness is not a sign of possible bed bug infestations. The cleanest room can still have thousands of bed bugs.