What Are Bed Bugs? 

Bed bugs are small, brown colored bugs that mainly infest our homes and come out at night to feast on human blood.
Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs are not caused by poor hygiene, but poorly maintained or a cluttered home, as it gives them a lot of space to hide.

Bed bug infestation can begin through transfer of a single bug into your home through shared laundry services, residing in hotels and travelling in public transports etc.

The bed bug is a small blood-sucking insect that infests homes and feeds on humans.

The adults are characterized by a kind of flattened oval-shaped body with a sharp beak to puncture the skin. When they feed on human blood, their bodies inflate like a balloon and turn from brown to red.

But what causes bed bugs?

Bed bugs are very hard to get rid of because they like to hide in small spaces such as wall cracks, floors, or mattress seams during the day and then come out at night to feed.

If you are battling a current bed bug infestation consult this guide for bed bug removal. Their bites can cause pain and swelling symptoms all over the skin.

Bed bugs are native to most areas of the globe and appear to spread quickly from increased human travel.

This article will cover some important facts about identification, prevention, and the ultimate cause of bed bugs.

How a Bed Bug Infestation Starts

Contrary to some popular opinions, bed bugs do not appear to be caused by poor hygiene (although household clutter does give them a place to hide).

Instead, the most frequent causes of a bed bug infestation are due mostly to accidental and random reasons.

They are usually brought into the home by hitching a ride on infested items, including furniture, suitcases, clothing, purses, and backpacks.

They can also enter the home through infected animals such as bats or birds.

Once they’ve established a foothold, an infestation can spread quickly into other areas of the home or building by traveling through walls, floorboards, and doorways.

Unfortunately, living in a densely populated building or just staying too long in a dense area can increase the risk of an infestation.

Such bed bug hot spots include apartments, dorm rooms, hotels, cruise ships, trains and buses, and shelters or camps.

They can also easily move between people in shared laundry facilities.