Why do bedbugs come into the house? - briefly
Bedbugs are attracted to human blood and infiltrate residences by hitchhiking on clothing, luggage, or second‑hand furniture. Infestations expand when insects move between neighboring units or are unintentionally carried by visitors.
Why do bedbugs come into the house? - in detail
Bedbugs infiltrate dwellings primarily because they seek blood meals and shelter. Their movement is driven by several biological and environmental factors.
- Human proximity – Carbon dioxide, body heat, and skin odors signal a host, prompting bugs to locate occupied rooms.
- Transportation vectors – Luggage, clothing, and personal items carried from infested locations introduce insects directly into new environments.
- Second‑hand furniture – Sofas, mattresses, and upholstered chairs can harbor dormant individuals or eggs that awaken when placed in a home.
- Structural gaps – Cracks in walls, floorboards, and baseboards provide pathways for bugs to migrate from adjacent apartments or wall voids.
- Temperature stability – Indoor climates of 20–27 °C (68–81 °F) create optimal conditions for development and reproduction.
- Clutter – Accumulated items offer hiding places and increase the difficulty of detecting and eliminating the pests.
Human practices amplify these risks. Frequent travel without inspecting luggage, acquiring used furnishings without thorough treatment, and maintaining densely packed interiors all raise the probability of infestation. Once established, bedbugs reproduce rapidly: a single female can lay 200–500 eggs over her lifetime, with hatching occurring within a week under favorable conditions. The combination of host attraction, passive transport mechanisms, and conducive indoor environments explains the frequent appearance of these parasites in residential settings.