How do Bed Bugs Spread in Illinois and Indiana?

Bed bugs can spread through a number of ways:

• College students traveling home with infested luggage
• Traveling with an infested suitcase or staying in an infested hotel
• Transporting infested furniture into the home

Do Bed Bugs Fly?

Bed bugs do not have developed wings and cannot fly. Thankfully, they cannot jump long distances either unlike other bugs their size such as fleas. To get from one spot to another, bed bugs crawl. They actually are rather slow when crawling, but they don’t need to be fast. Because they take shelter near where they feed, there’s no need to get from one place to another quickly. After a meal, they’ll crawl back to their hiding spot until they emerge again. In very rare cases, you may be able to spot bed bugs crawling walls when they’re moving.

How Quickly do Bed Bugs Spread in Illinois and Indiana?

Bed bugs are opportunists that will spread from one room to another by latching onto items such as purses, suitcases, luggage, or backpacks. This is why bed bug infestations frequently are tied back to travel, and why it’s important to stay vigilant when traveling to avoid bringing them home with you. Another way they spread is when infested items are moved from your bedroom to another room, introducing the bugs into a new environment. Bed bugs may be slow crawlers, but they’re expert hiders and can move from room to room in your home without you ever noticing.

Can You Get Bed Bugs From a Person?

Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs are not contagious. They rarely pass from person to person because bed bugs don’t like heat and will avoid having to be on humans for more than just a meal. Although they aren’t directly contagious, it is very common for bed bugs to spread from one building to another by means of the methods mentioned previously.