Where can bedbugs live? - briefly
Bedbugs occupy sleeping environments, including mattresses, box springs, bed frames, upholstered furniture, and cracks in walls or floorboards. They also spread to luggage, clothing, and seats in hotels, trains, and airplanes.
Where can bedbugs live? - in detail
Bedbugs occupy environments that provide shelter, proximity to human hosts, and protection from disturbances. Their preferred sites are found primarily inside residential and commercial structures, but they can also survive in certain outdoor settings.
Indoor locations include:
- Mattress seams, folds, and tags
- Box‑spring frames and upholstered headboards
- Bed frames, nightstands, and surrounding floorboards
- Upholstered chairs, sofas, and recliners
- Wall cracks, baseboard gaps, and electrical outlet plates
- Carpet edges, under‑floor tiles, and floor joists
- Luggage, backpacks, and travel bags
- Hotel rooms, dormitories, shelters, and correctional facilities
- Hospital waiting areas and patient rooms
- Second‑hand furniture and donated items
Outdoor habitats are limited to places that mimic indoor hiding conditions:
- Cracks in exterior walls, fences, and building foundations
- Bird nests, rodent burrows, and animal dens
- Mulch, leaf litter, and garden debris
- Sheds, garages, and storage units with cluttered corners
- Public transportation seats and train compartments when not regularly cleaned
Bedbugs survive temperatures from roughly 15 °C to 30 °C, tolerating brief exposures to colder or hotter extremes. Their ability to hide in minute crevices enables them to persist in any setting where these microhabitats exist and a blood meal is accessible. Transport occurs through personal belongings, furniture relocation, and shared bedding, allowing rapid colonization of new environments.