Where are Bed bugs Found? Bed Bug Habitat Information

If you think you have an infestation and are wondering where bed bugs are usually found, remember: bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers and are easily transported. They will hide in suitcases, boxes and shoes to be near a food supply. They like to hide in small cracks and crevices close to a human environment. Bed bugs are most often found in bed parts, such as mattresses, box springs and folded areas.

They can also conceal themselves behind baseboards, wallpaper, upholstery, picture frames, electrical switchplates, and in furniture crevices. Bed bugs are also known to survive in temporary or alternative habitats, such as backpacks and under the seats in cars, buses and trains.

Where Else Bed Bugs are Found?

Bed bug habitats are not limited to any one specific type of dwelling. Pest control companies have been reporting infestations everywhere including single family homes, multi-family housing, apartments, hotels, hospitals, schools and college campuses, office buildings, retail stores, movie theaters and even public transportation. Nowadays, even five-star hotels and high-end clothing stores are susceptible to infestations.

According to the NPMA's Bugs Without Borders survey, pest management professionals report that residences top the list of places where bed bug infestations are found, with 91 percent of pest professionals reporting finding bed bug habitats in single-family homes and 89 percent in apartments/condominiums. Respondents also reported other common locations for bed bug encounters:

• Hotels/Motels - 68 percent

• Nursing Homes – 59 percent

• Schools & Day Care Centers – 47 percent

• Office Buildings – 46 percent

• College Dorms – 45 percent

• Hospitals – 36 percent

• Public Transportation – 19 percent 

68 percent in hotels/motels, 59 percent in nursing homes, 47 percent in schools and day care centers, 46 percent in office buildings, 

Today, bed bugs can be found throughout almost every region of the world and in all 50 U.S. states. Specifically, the pests were encountered by 17 percent of 2011 Bed Bugs in America survey respondents in the Northeast; 20 percent in the Midwest; 20 percent in the South; and 19 percent in the West.