Causes and Spread of Bedbugs
Bedbugs are expert hitchhikers. They spread by clinging to clothing, luggage, bedding, furniture, or other personal items, allowing them to travel unnoticed between locations. Once inside a home or building, they quickly find hiding places near sleeping areas and begin to reproduce. Learn more about the causes and spread of bedbugs below.
Key ways bedbugs spread include:
- Travel
- Hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and public transport are common sources.
- Bedbugs hide in luggage, clothing, or personal belongings and move to new environments.
- Second-hand furniture and mattresses
- Purchasing or salvaging used beds, couches, or chairs can bring bedbugs into the home.
- Items left on sidewalks or from informal sellers often carry infestations.
- Apartment blocks and shared housing
- Bedbugs can move through wall cracks, electrical outlets, and plumbing systems to reach nearby units.
- In South Africa’s urban centres like Johannesburg and Cape Town, high-density living makes containment difficult.
- Visitors or guests
- Friends or relatives with a bedbug issue may inadvertently introduce bugs when they stay over.
- Friends or relatives with a bedbug issue may inadvertently introduce bugs when they stay over.
- Public places
- Cinemas, hospitals, schools, taxis, and buses are possible transfer points for bedbugs to cling to bags or coats.
What doesn’t cause bedbugs?
- Poor hygiene does not attract bedbugs.
- Dirty homes do not “cause” an infestation — cleanliness may simply make bugs easier to detect.
Risk factors:
- Frequent travel or moving between accommodations
- Living in buildings with shared walls or poorly sealed infrastructure
- Acquiring second-hand goods without inspection or treatment
- Limited access to pest control services or inability to afford professional treatment
In rural parts of South Africa, infestations may go unnoticed for longer due to fewer inspections or less awareness. In lower-income communities, lack of access to professional pest control can lead to ongoing problems.
Causes and Spread of Bedbugs
Education, awareness, and early detection are key to reducing spread and keeping communities bedbug-free.
👉 [Next: Symptoms and Reactions to Bedbug Bites]
