Bed bugs are small, wingless insects that feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals, primarily humans. While almost always associated with indoor environments, they can survive briefly outside. Their presence outdoors is usually accidental, as they are not adapted for prolonged outdoor living.
Their Preferred Environment
Bed bugs thrive in environments that offer consistent access to a host and stable conditions. They prefer temperatures ranging from 70°F to 80°F (21°C to 27°C). Additionally, they favor humidity levels between 40% and 70%. These conditions allow them to develop and reproduce efficiently. They typically reside in dark, secluded spots close to where hosts rest, such as mattress seams, bed frames, and cracks in furniture.
Challenges of Outdoor Survival
Outdoor environments present numerous obstacles that severely limit bed bug survival. Fluctuating temperatures, both extremely hot and cold, are detrimental. Temperatures above 113°F (45°C) can be lethal, with exposure to 60°C killing them almost immediately. Conversely, sustained temperatures below 13°F (-25°C) for several days, or -15°C for at least 85 hours, result in 100% mortality. While bed bugs can enter a dormant state to survive colder periods for up to a year by slowing their metabolism, this is a temporary measure, not a sustainable way of life.
Low humidity outdoors also leads to desiccation, as bed bugs require moisture to maintain their bodily functions. The absence of a consistent blood meal outside further compromises their survival, although adults can endure for several months without feeding, or even up to 400 days in optimal conditions. Outdoor predators such as ants, spiders, and cockroaches may also prey on them, though these natural enemies do not effectively control bed bug populations. Bed bugs are not agile outdoors and tend to avoid open grassy areas.
How Bedbugs Travel
Bed bugs primarily infest new locations by hitchhiking, as they lack wings and cannot fly, making them reliant on human activity for dispersal. Common ways they travel include clinging to luggage, backpacks, and clothing, or being transported from infested hotels, rental properties, and public spaces. Used furniture, especially mattresses and upholstered items, can also harbor bed bugs. Public transportation, such as buses, trains, and airplanes, provides opportunities for transfer. Once inside a building, bed bugs can crawl through wall voids, along pipes, and through floor and ceiling openings, enabling them to spread between rooms or to adjacent units.