What Are the Leading Causes of Bedbugs?

Bed bugs are small insects that survive on blood. Bed bugs prefer to feed from humans, usually when people are sleeping, but they will also feed on bats, birds, rodents or pets. Bed bugs do not transmit diseases, but they leave bites similar in appearance to mosquito bites. Bed bugs may also leave reddish or brown spots on bedding. However, bed bugs do not only infest beds; they also hide in window and door frames, desks, dressers, pictures, wallpaper and any clutter in the room. The incidence of bed bugs declined after World War II, but their numbers are on the rise.

Pest Control Practices

• Changes in pest control practices have likely increased the spread of bed bugs. Ants and cockroaches have increasingly been controlled with baits, rather than insecticide sprays; since bed bugs feed only on blood, they are not affected by ant or cockroach bait. In addition, some insecticides that once controlled bed bugs, such as DDT, are no longer used.

International Travel

• The rise in international travel has also helped spread bed bugs. Bed bugs can easily hide in luggage or clothing, and can also infest buses, airplanes, trains and ships. Hotels, hostels and motels more frequently have bed bug infestations than do permanent residences, and increased rates of travel provide more opportunities for bed bugs to spread.

Insecticide Resistance

• Some bed bugs have also become resistant to common insecticides, which makes eliminating bed bugs more difficult. Never use insecticides before carefully reading the directions, and never use insecticides on mattresses, bedding or linens.