How Quickly Do Bed Bugs Spread?

With bed bugs becoming a major pest problem in homes, hotels and businesses across the country, many people are curious about how quickly bed bugs spread. Bed bugs do not fly since they do not have wings. They are able to crawl and rapidly move short distances within an infected area, and slowly spread to other rooms in the home or business.

Another way bed bugs move around is by finding their way into purses, backpacks, suitcases, briefcases, clothing, and jackets. Bed bugs rely upon humans to help transport them to new areas and locations where they are free to set up and establish new infestations. In fact, these traveling methods are the number one way people introduce bed bugs into their homes.

Once brought into the home, bed bug infestations take time to grow before they become a major headache. If you were to bring home one single female who has already mated, the new visitor will start to populate the home with new bed bugs. She will lay about 100 eggs over the course of the first month. Since her laying is spread out, by the end of the month there will be roughly 50 or 60 nymphs (developing infant bed bugs) and 30-40 eggs waiting to be hatched.

By the end of the second month, the adult population will have grown to around 10 breeding adults with about 200 developing bed bugs in various stages, and numerous eggs. At this point, you should start to notice small reddish-brown color dots on your bedding and mattress, and you may start to see small dark specks of dirt, as well as other minute particles. Catching and controlling bed bugs at this stage is beneficial, as things start to get out of hand by the end of the third month.

The bed bug population explodes during the third month of infestation. By now the colony has grown to over 100 breeding adults, 1,000s of developing nymphs, and 400-500 eggs. In addition, some of the adult bed bugs will start to migrate to other rooms within the home, since they can survive for approximately 6 to 12 months without a meal. If left to continue to grow and expand, the bed bug colony starts to turn into a major infestation.

Within six months of introducing the original pregnant female bed bug into the home, you could be facing infestations in every room of the home. Populations by this point will have soared to well over 8,000 breeding adults, 100,000s of developing nymphs, and 50,000-60,000 eggs waiting to hatch. Knowing how bed bugs spread and populate new areas, you can clearly see why prevention and early detection are vital to keep your home or business bed bug free.

You can protect your bedding, mattresses, and box springs, as well as other furniture in the home, with special bed bug encasements. These protective barriers stop bed bugs from getting into your pillows, mattresses, box springs, and furniture should you accidentally introduce a bed bug into the home. For more information about the bed bug certified encasements and other waterproof and hypoallergenic mattress and bedding products, contact Mattress Safe® now at 770-205-5335.