Bed bugs are small, nocturnal insects that primarily feed on the blood of humans and animals. Adults are reddish-brown, wingless, and typically the size of an apple seed, with flat, oval-shaped bodies. These pests are often misunderstood, especially regarding their ability to move, leading to common misconceptions about how they spread.
Bed Bug Movement: The Truth About Jumping
Bed bugs do not jump or fly. They lack the specialized physiological structures, such as powerful hind legs, that would enable them to propel themselves through the air like fleas, and are wingless. They are exclusively crawlers, meaning any rapid movement observed is due to their crawling ability.
How Bed Bugs Really Move
Bed bugs move primarily by crawling, and they can do so quickly. They can crawl at speeds of about 3 to 4 feet per minute on various surfaces. This speed, while seemingly slow, is equivalent to a human sprinting when scaled to their size. Their six legs have tiny hooks, allowing them to grip and climb most surfaces, including fabric, wood, and even walls and ceilings. They can navigate both rough and smooth textures, though very smooth surfaces like glass or polished metal are more challenging.
The primary method of bed bug dispersal is “hitchhiking.” Their small size and flat bodies, which can be as thin as a credit card, allow them to hide unnoticed in tiny cracks and crevices. They often cling to luggage, clothing, furniture, and other personal items, inadvertently traveling with people from one location to another. This characteristic makes them adept at spreading across long distances, from hotels and public transport to new homes. They can also move between adjacent rooms or apartments by crawling through hallways or through small openings in walls, ceilings, or utility ports.
Implications for Control and Prevention
Understanding that bed bugs crawl and hitchhike, rather than jump, is important for effective prevention and control. Since they don’t jump, direct contact with an infested item or surface is generally required for them to spread. When traveling, it is advisable to inspect hotel rooms, keeping luggage elevated off the floor and away from beds. Inspecting second-hand furniture thoroughly before bringing it into a home is also important to avoid introducing these pests.
Practical prevention strategies include:
Using protective, zippered encasements on mattresses and box springs to trap bed bugs and simplify inspections.
Regularly vacuuming mattresses, carpets, and crevices to reduce their numbers.
Washing and drying clothes on the highest heat setting after travel to kill any hidden bed bugs.
Sealing cracks in walls and around outlets to limit their movement.