They don’t actually build nests like some other insects, but they do group together. They don’t like motion so will seek a non-moving area to stay in. They like dark isolated corners, but can be on furniture, in carpet or on walls.
They are fairly thin creatures and can live in tiny cracks and very small openings like behind an electrical outlet or between a mattress and box spring. Bed bugs prefer warm blooded creatures but will make do with blood of any type as a food source.įurther, bed bugs like to hide. Any species of bed bug can survive on human or other mammal blood, they just need a blood meal at least once a week or so. Some need a very specific type of blood to reproduce, like bat bugs that need the blood of bats in order to have babies. There are many different kinds of bed bugs and they vary in their needs. They can set up shop anywhere there is a food source, so near the dog’s bed, or even in a basement if there are rodents such as mice. Where Do Bed Bugs Live?īed bugs usually reside in bedrooms and have humans as their hosts, but not always. They can also migrate from a neighbor’s home when people live in very close proximity like in an apartment building where they can come through the walls. This is one reason to be very cautious about buying used items like beds, bedding, or mattresses anything made from fabric. This can happen when you travel, when you stay at a friend or relatives, or when something you have comes in contact with the bugs like your luggage, clothing, or stuffed animals. You get them because you or your belongings have come in contact with them and they migrated home with you. They may be in many people’s minds associated with unclean conditions, but in fact they are unrelated. The first thing to know about getting bed bugs, is that it has nothing to do with cleanliness. Some of the more toxic insecticides were banned, and that, along with increased resistance by the bugs, lead to a marked increase. By the end of the 1990’s they began to flourish again. They were so rare that most exterminators had no experience with them. Starting in the 1950’s and lasting until the 1990’s, strong insecticides nearly wiped out bed bugs. Checking for bed bugs and admonishing, “Don’t let the bed bugs bite,” was just part of life. Bed bugs were common prior to the second half of the 20 th century.