What causes bed bugs? If they come from other infested areas, how do they appear at those areas?

For example, cockroaches appear if people leave out leftovers. And one has to review and clean up one's inner world, first of all.

What is the lesson about bed bugs?

1 hour ago, m_m said:

For example, cockroaches appear if people leave out leftovers. And one has to review and clean up one's inner world, first of all.

I hope you are not implying that cockroaches magically appear when leftovers are present. Rather, they are present in a given habitat and while in urban settings much of it could be human leftovers, they are as happy to munch on all types of organic matter think feces, dead skin and so on. Waste control can limit cockroach presence, but depending on how many are around and how sealed your home is, they might keep coming back.

Bed bugs are adept in hiding all kind of areas (beyond sleeping areas think anything porous, like wooden joints, carpets) etc. The lesson here is that that they are resilient bastards and it can take a lot of effort to find and get rid of them.

Another lesson, based on learning that thrift stores often do not launder donations, is to immediately transfer your purchase from the bag to the washing machine. Even if the article of clothing "looks okay."

Apparently the thrift store standard is now mostly "if not obviously soiled or smelly, put it out on the rack."

I did once buy a flannel shirt that reeked of elderberries and hamster cage shavings.

8 minutes ago, TheVat said:

Another lesson, based on learning that thrift stores often do not launder donations, is to immediately transfer your purchase from the bag to the washing machine. Even if the article of clothing "looks okay."

Apparently the thrift store standard is now mostly "if not obviously soiled or smelly, put it out on the rack."

I did once buy a flannel shirt that reeked of elderberries and hamster cage shavings.

Pre-owned by a French medieval knight with a passing resemblance to John Cleese, I presume…

Like all living organisms. they follow their food supply.

15 hours ago, CharonY said:

I hope you are not implying that cockroaches magically appear when leftovers are present. Rather, they are present in a given habitat and while in urban settings much of it could be human leftovers, they are as happy to munch on all types of organic matter think feces, dead skin and so on. Waste control can limit cockroach presence, but depending on how many are around and how sealed your home is, they might keep coming back.

Roaches are present not in every dwelling, so are bed bugs.

15 hours ago, CharonY said:

and it can take a lot of effort to find and get rid of them.

I think yes, the lesson in applying efforts. And that cleanness is "bought" at a high "price".

But if roaches are an indication of leftovers and wet floors ( because they don't live in offices, right?), then bed bugs are a sign of what?

1 hour ago, MigL said:

Like all living organisms. they follow their food supply.

They find their food not in every house.

2 minutes ago, m_m said:

Roaches are present not in every dwelling, so are bed bugs.

I think yes, the lesson in applying efforts. And that cleanness is "bought" at a high "price".

But if roaches are an indication of leftovers and wet floors ( because they don't live in offices, right?), then bed bugs are a sign of what?

People. They suck blood, right?

You just have to get rid of them. Professional pest control job, probably. Don't muck about.

I read that the history of bedbugs goes back to ancient times. They were always presented in people's lives. And I believe they exist for some reason.

Just now, exchemist said:

People. They suck blood, right?

You just have to get rid of them. Professional pest control job, probably. Don't muck about.

I don't have them at my house (and I hope I won't). I'm curious what causes bed bugs.

Just now, exchemist said:

People. They suck blood, right?

Again, they don't live in every house.

11 minutes ago, m_m said:

I don't have them at my house (and I hope I won't). I'm curious what causes bed bugs.

A girl and boy bed bug fall in love, start dating, then...you know the rest. If you are asking what causes infestations, that is from the usual vectors - they travel in on clothing, upholstery, bedding, luggage...anything people come in contact with and which wasn't properly cleaned when entering a house. (see my earlier thrift store remarks)

Sometimes a hotel can have them and travelers unwittingly carry them home. Good hotels are pretty vigilant about pest control and cleaning, but there are cheap ones that sometimes cut corners. Also, crowded campsites have had outbreaks, and people transport them in camping gear.

23 minutes ago, m_m said:

I read that the history of bedbugs goes back to ancient times. They were always presented in people's lives. And I believe they exist for some reason.

I don't have them at my house (and I hope I won't). I'm curious what causes bed bugs.

Again, they don't live in every house.

They travel in mobile objects like luggage, clothing etc. Bed bugs are most likely to be found where there are a lot of people passing through with their own possessions, e.g. in hotel rooms. So you are most at risk of importing them into your house when you have been staying away somewhere or when a traveller stays with you.

5 hours ago, exchemist said:

Pre-owned by a French medieval knight with a passing resemblance to John Cleese, I presume…

You don't frighten us, English pig-dogs! Go and boil your bottom, sons of a silly person.

I think we somewhat duplicated posts on the hotel vectors.

21 minutes ago, TheVat said:

You don't frighten us, English pig-dogs! Go and boil your bottom, sons of a silly person.

I think we somewhat duplicated posts on the hotel vectors.

Yes cross-posted.

Just now, TheVat said:

A girl and boy bed bug fall in love, start dating, then...you know the rest. If you are asking what causes infestations, that is from the usual vectors - they travel in on clothing, upholstery, bedding, luggage...anything people come in contact with and which wasn't properly cleaned when entering a house. (see my earlier thrift store remarks)

Sometimes a hotel can have them and travelers unwittingly carry them home. Good hotels are pretty vigilant about pest control and cleaning, but there are cheap ones that sometimes cut corners. Also, crowded campsites have had outbreaks, and people transport them in camping gear.

I still haven't understood what these insects signal about??

It looks like they are the sign of cheap hostels and a lack of money? But people say that bed bugs inhabit expensive hotels also.

Edited April 15Apr 15 by m_m

2 minutes ago, m_m said:

I still haven't understood what these insects signal about??

It looks like they are the sign of cheap hostels and a lack of money? But people say that bed bugs inhabit expensive hotels also.

You are overthinking it. They are a sign that at some point bed bug got into this area. It could be from folks accidentally carrying in, contaminated fabrics or furniture, etc. There is not that one weird rule that makes them appear form nothing.

Just now, CharonY said:

You are overthinking it.

No, I don't. I think they are a dangerous infection, like a deseas.

And

it can take a lot of effort to find and get rid of them.

Just now, m_m said:

No, I don't. I think they are a dangerous infection, like a deseas.

And

So what then do you think infectious diseases are associated with? Do you think that anyone is safe from them or that it only occurs in certain folks?

48 minutes ago, m_m said:

I still haven't understood what these insects signal about??

It looks like they are the sign of cheap hostels and a lack of money? But people say that bed bugs inhabit expensive hotels also.

This has been explained to you. You can find them anywhere. But good hotels will clean and vacuum thoroughly, and will also tend to have guests that use other good hotels, so it is not very likely, though still possible, to pick one up in them. Whereas bad accommodation, with clientele that use less scrupulous establishments, may more easily harbour them.

17 minutes ago, exchemist said:

But good hotels will clean and vacuum thoroughly, and will also tend to have guests that use other good hotels, so it is not very likely, though still possible, to pick one up in them. Whereas bad accommodation, with clientele that use less scrupulous establishments, may more easily harbour them.

Even good hotels can have occasional infestations as you cannot test everyone coming in. But they generally spend more money on remedies if they get affected.

1 hour ago, CharonY said:

So what then do you think infectious diseases are associated with? Do you think that anyone is safe from them or that it only occurs in certain folks?

I just want to understand the reason they occur in one's life.

How do they appear in hotels?- From people. Where do people get them? - In hotels. It's a circle.

29 minutes ago, m_m said:

How do they appear in hotels?- From people. Where do people get them? - In hotels. It's a circle.

It is fairly simple, really. They are not only present in hotels but they are human parasites and live where humans are. Humans are vectors in their spread, because they don't travel much themselves (most likely because they never get approved for credit cards). Hotels are frequented by man different humans, so they are hotspots for their spread. I also think that they are distributed around the world. So in short, whenever there is a human with human skin, there is at least a non-zero risk of presence of bed bugs.

8 hours ago, CharonY said:

most likely because they never get approved for credit cards

Unlike roaches.

So, it turns out they prefer hotels to apartment buildings? I didn't know about bed bugs until I started traveling. And even then, I only encountered them now.

By the way, they don't bite everyone, and this doesn't depend on the group of blood.

I assume these bed bugs (and roaches) are more mysterious than we think.

2 hours ago, m_m said:

I only encountered them now.

This is surely wrong

2 hours ago, m_m said:

these bed bugs (and roaches) are more mysterious than we think.

Everything is a mystery to those who are ignorant of how things work.

If anything bed bugs are a sign of nothing as far as I know.

I don't know why atoms decided to get together and become them and I wish they hadn't. They're nasty.

Had them for 14 months, no matter what I did, or changed how I slept, bite bite f.....g bite. I hate them so here's what I know.

They will travel on everything they can, they can be everywhere, hotels, buses, cars, hmo's, flats, trains, hospitals..everywhere. You can be as clean as you want, they will STILL bite you.

You can change deodarant but unless it has a different blood type in it, they will STILL bite you. They seem to choose a particular person to feed on and will even crawl over someone to get to that person.

They will leave a trail though, makes it easier to find them. Its usually a small or tiny little area that is peppered with tiny blood spots or feaces. Sort of old blood colour.

A clear sign you have them is random small blood spots on your bed linen where you rolled over and splatted a few during the night. Think dump truck and water balloon. But smaller.

I tried a lot of things, vinegar being one of them but to no avail. What eventually worked was pest control, sprayed the entire place with a chemical that kills them and their eggs and keeps killing them for months after.

If you get them, call pest control immediately. THEY'RE NASTY! 👺😡

1 hour ago, iNow said:

This is surely wrong

Everything is a mystery to those who are ignorant of how things work.

Everything's a mystery until it's discovered 🙂

Edited April 16Apr 16 by Imagine Everything

4 hours ago, m_m said:

So, it turns out they prefer hotels to apartment buildings? I didn't know about bed bugs until I started traveling. And even then, I only encountered them now.

They are not going around shopping for the nicest locations. They (or their eggs) hitch a ride on their hosts and their belongings. They are also nocturnal. Hotels are where people sleep. But so is your bedroom. The main difference being that you probably don't have a lot of travelers in your bedroom.

1 hour ago, Imagine Everything said:

You can change deodarant but unless it has a different blood type in it, they will STILL bite you. They seem to choose a particular person to feed on and will even crawl over someone to get to that person.

Breath initiatives host seeking behavior. I am not sure whether blood type affects the chemical composition but essentially they are attracted by body heat and breathing, AFAIK.

On 4/16/2025 at 5:12 PM, CharonY said:

They are not going around shopping for the nicest locations. They (or their eggs) hitch a ride on their hosts and their belongings. They are also nocturnal. Hotels are where people sleep. But so is your bedroom. The main difference being that you probably don't have a lot of travelers in your bedroom.

Breath initiatives host seeking behavior. I am not sure whether blood type affects the chemical composition but essentially they are attracted by body heat and breathing, AFAIK.

I think you're right but it's been a while since I had to endure the little f...ers. However, nocturnal or not, if you stay awake at night and then go the bed, they will still come and bite.

This behavior is I think as you say, caused by our breath.

They definately pick their host, the climber over my mrs to get to my scarlet so perhaps the can detect something in the blood through our breath.

I knew more then, than I do now.

One thing is for sure, they are an absolutely waste of life. Pointless in every way. Unless of course their point of living is to annoy hosts.