Do Bed Bugs Jump? Know How They Move And The Treatments [UPDATED]

Do bed bugs jump? How do they move? Do they fly? If you are wondering the same things, you have come to the right place. Here is the thing, if you have bed bugs in your house you might want to know more detail about them to kill them.

Bed bugs are stubborn bugs. If you suspect you have some of them at one spot in your house, you have to take it seriously. In this post, you will be provided with useful information about bed bugs, how they move, and how do they live.

We will answer all the common questions about bed bugs and their movement.

Can Bed Bugs Jump?

Source: media.npr.org/assets/img/2019/07/08/dl_612bedbugs_bed_bug_feeds_on_arm_fm_above_wide-a1b04417484637a58638e731f7899c1c41b5003f.jpg?s=1400

The answer to that question would be a no. Bed bugs cannot jump. If you think bed bugs can jump, you are mistaken. It could be similar insects called fleas. Fleas have powerful hind legs that give the insect the ability to jump longer than you think.

Therefore, it is important to have bed bug traps lying at the bed legs; they will not be able to get over the traps without falling inside it. When you see some tiny insects that can jump around on your bed or furniture, it is not a bed bug.

As we know, bed bugs can bite. So do fleas. People often mistaken in identifying the bite from fleas and bed bugs. That is because the bite looks similar even though they do not look the same physically.

Can Bed Bugs Fly?

$C:\Users\MOSLEM\Downloads\bedbug-6-e1569516769610.jpg$

Source: amcoranger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/bedbug-6-e1569516769610.jpg

The short answer to that question is no. Bed bugs do not have wings. They are just stubby little oval-shaped bugs that cannot fly. If you think bed bugs come into your room on the bed by flying across the room and land on it, well you are wrong.

If you think something tiny, which looks like a bed bug flying around the bedroom, it is not a bed bug. The chances are it is another bug called a stink bug. The appearance of stink bugs looks quite similar to bed bugs. However, stink bugs don’t bite you, they’ll just annoy you to death.

Can Bed Bugs Climb the Walls?

Source: cdn.orkin.com/images/bed_bugs/bed-bug-wall-corner-cluster_2560x1860.jpg

Unlike the first two questions, this one is yes. It is scary but true that bed bugs can climb up on the walls. Some people might freak out a bit when knowing this fact.

There are many cases that homeowners already set all the bed legs with the traps, but then realize that the bugs can still be on the bed by climbing the wall. However, this one might be relieving; bed bugs cannot climb on a smooth surface.

Therefore, if your bedroom wall has a little bit of a texture that might come from the uneven paint coat, bed bugs will easily climb it without a problem. So, keep checking the spots around the infestation to maximize the identification and cleaning.

How Bed Bugs Move

Source: termite-treatments.com/wp-content/uploads/signs-of-bed-bugs.jpeg

Just like any normal bugs, bed bugs move by crawling around. Their crawling is quite slow too. When people are sleeping, bed bugs would get triggered by the CO₂ people emit raise to higher levels.

This atmosphere would wake the bed bugs up and begin to make the way to CO₂ source which usually a warm blooding mammal. As said before, bed bugs move a bit slow. Nevertheless, they do not need to move fast.

They like to suck the host’s blood in an unconscious state. The slow crawling is done to reduce the target’s risk of awakening. These bugs are not fast but why there are so many of them. The main reason is the increased travel amounts.

People like to travel a lot because, you know, the plane’s ticket is getting cheaper. After traveling, you might carry some bed bugs to spread around your house. Moreover, bed bugs are great at holding on to things like bags and shirts to keep them attached.

Therefore, there is a high chance of carrying bed bugs or any kind of insect. Another example, you take a cab that is previously taken by someone that carries a bed bug. You can also take the bed bugs and bring them to your house.

That could mean that you have a potential infestation of a bed bug on your hands. If you think bed bugs move fast, well they do not.

How Bed Bugs Move from Room to Room

Source: felixhudson.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/bed-bugs.jpg

Until now, we already know how bed bugs move and how fast they are. After that, you may want to know how bed bugs get from room to room. This one is an interesting topic to explain because we all know that people bring bed bugs and they move quite slow.

Bed bugs can start an infestation somewhere. They will start another infestation or nest somewhere close to the host; in this case, it is you. The perfect place for bed bugs to create a nest is, of course, your mattress.

To prevent the bed bugs to be in your bed, you should get a mattress protector. It would make them hide in the headboard or some crevice around you.

So, how do they move from room to room? Check out this situation. You are in your sleep and wake up scratching your skin. Then, you notice bites and you started to panic or freak out. After that, you might decide to sleep away from the bedroom.

Then, you end up sleeping on the sofa in the living room. This is a bad idea because you are probably carrying the bed bugs on your body when you move there. They will start to build a new home. Bed bugs can also move to another room on their own when the host leaving the house.

The bed bugs will search for a new food source elsewhere. They could be in your kids’ bedroom or anywhere in the house searching for a new food source. They will begin to spread around until they get what they want. That is how bed bugs move from room to room.

How to Stop Them

$C:\Users\MOSLEM\Downloads\bed-bugs-today-170928-tease_660d54bd3d751eba12271c7c8b424c73.jpg$

Source: media2.s-nbcnews.com/i/newscms/2017_39/1285445/bed-bugs-today-170928-tease_660d54bd3d751eba12271c7c8b424c73.jpg

When you already find out that you have bed bugs, you do not want them to move around the house, from room to room. Well, you have to keep the infestation in one spot only in the house. There is only one thing you can do.

It might sound ridiculous but it is somewhat very effective. You have to continue to sleep in the same spots in the same room as if nothing had happened there. This method is to make you the bait for the bed bug.

If you do not do this method, you might increase the risk of bed bugs traveling through walls to find new sources of food from another room. It is also important in the elimination of the bed bug. Even exterminators or professionals in bed bugs would also give you the same advice.

As a part of a treatment plan that the exterminators have, they will instruct you to keep sleeping at the same location. Therefore, the insecticides or other traps that they already apply will take effect on the bed bugs efficiently.

Well, you already know one thing. Bed bugs do not bring or spread diseases. You do not have to be afraid of any other impact except for itchiness. You should be fine with that, right?

Bed Bug Control

$C:\Users\MOSLEM\Downloads\Bed-Bug-Control-Service-Grand-Junction-CO-Feat1.jpg$

Source: shieldpestcontrolgj.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Bed-Bug-Control-Service-Grand-Junction-CO-Feat1.jpg

Bed bugs are like an uninvited guest. They are not dangerous but they are quite a disturbance to the house and cause itchiness to your skin. You should get rid of them as soon as possible. You are the one in control.

Here are tips you can implement to prevent or control bed bugs in your house.

1. Making Sure

You have to make sure the insect you have in your house is bed bugs. Many people are often mistaken in identifying the bed bugs because they are similar to fleas, ticks, and some other insects. You already know how after reading this post right from the beginning.

2. Staying Calm

You do not need to get panic in dealing with bed bugs. Well, it is not impossible to eliminate bed bugs. You do not have to throw out all the infested stuff because most of them can still be saved and treated. Throwing them out could raise the chance of spreading bed bugs to other houses.

3. Avoid Using Pesticides

You should think through the options of treatment. Do not choose using pesticides as the first treatment to try. Dealing with bed bugs, you have to be comprehensive in the approach you choose. Try some integrated pest management techniques to reduce the bed bugs number.

Using pesticides have to be the last treatment option. However, if pesticides are needed, you have to follow the label directions or just simply hire a professional to apply them.

4. Cleaning the Clutter

When you start to clean all the clutter around the house, you will reduce the number of places for the bed bugs to hide. One of your duties is to make it harder for them to get to your mattress while you are sleeping. You can use special bed bug covers or encasements.

Leave the covers on for about one year. You have to make sure the product you use has been tested for the bugs. The quality has to be good enough to be used for a year without tearing.

5. Washing and Heat-Drying

You have to wash and heat-dry all the stuff on your bed like blankets, bedspreads, and bedsheets. The clothing that touches the floor should also be the one in your concern. This treatment will surely reduce the number of bed bugs and remove the eggs.

6. DIY Freezing

This is something that you should not do without the help of professionals. As we know, freezing can kill the bed bugs. However, you cannot use home freezers to do that. It is because home freezers are not cold enough for killing the bed bugs. Only professionals with the advanced machine can do this.

7. Heat Killing

Besides using a freezing temperature, bed bugs can also be killed with heat. However, you have to be very careful when applying this method. It is not about using the thermostat or space heaters to raise the temperature. That will not be effective to kill the bed bugs.

You will need special tools that can produce very high temperatures to do heat treatment. For small items like luggage or bags, you can use black plastic bags and sun them outside. For the room or container, you should heat the space over 45-degree Celsius to kill all the bed bugs.

8. Destroying Furniture

If the problem of bed bugs in some of your furniture becomes severe, you probably do not have any other options but destroying them. As we all know, bed bugs are great hitchhikers. They would eventually hitchhike from some stuff to another.

Therefore, you have to destroy them all immediately before the bed bugs get a chance to hitchhike to other people and give them problems.

9. Vacuuming Carefully

You to vacuum the rugs, floors, upholstered furniture, floors, beds, around bed legs, bed frames, under beds, and all crevices and cracks on the wall. Do it carefully and thoroughly to reduce the bed bugs.

One important thing to pay attention to is the bag of the vacuum. You have to change the bag right after each use. It would reduce a chance for the bed bugs to escape. Place the bag you already use in a plastic bag that is sealed tightly. Then, put in the garbage bin outside the house.

10. Hiring Professionals

If you are tight on budget, this should be the last treatment option that comes to mind. Well, we never doubt the professionals. They are all expert and they know what they are doing. Professionals have access to the machines and tools to treat the bed bugs.

You should choose the pest management company that has an experienced, responsible professional of pest control. It will give a high chance of success to get rid of bed bugs in your house.

Types of Bed Bugs

$C:\Users\MOSLEM\Downloads\GettyImages-154378663-592b4e473df78cbe7e40ecab.jpg$

Source: thespruce.com/thmb/xiJ6bhSL7-f67-nLycoj9Evq69E=/1411×1411/smart/filters:no_upscale()/GettyImages-154378663-592b4e473df78cbe7e40ecab.jpg

Apart from other insects that look like bed bugs, you need to know some types of bed bugs to maximize your treatment. Here are some of them.

1. Household Bed Bug

This bed bug is a common one that often found in the household. It can be found in some houses all over the world. This bed bug adapts well to people’s environments. Most of them live in a location with temperate climates.

2. Tropical Bed Bug

This is also known as the Cimex hemipterus. This bed bug also feeds on people. They prefer to live in tropical regions like Florida.

3. Bat Bugs

This type of bugs is also observed in tropical regions and temperate areas. This bug species primarily feed on bats. Although, sometimes you can find the bat bugs feed on human hosts too. This thing could happen when there is no bat around so they feed on humans as an alternative.

4. Mexican Chicken Bug

Primarily, this bug is found in North America. The appearance is similar to the household bed bug. Typically, Mexican chicken bugs are found on a poultry farm. They like to feed on bird species and fowl.

5. Barn Swallow Bugs

Just like the Mexican chicken bug, this bug also resembles household bed bugs. Barn swallow bugs choose cliff swallows as hosts. They tend to live in swallow nests. When there is bird migration, it is the best time for barn swallow bugs to feed on humans.

Identifying the type of bed bugs accurately is very important for effective infestation treatment. False identification could lead to ineffective treatment. It may be harmful too. Those types of bed bugs would be very helpful to succeed in the inspection.

Conclusion

To conclude, we all now know that bed bugs do not jump because the one that jumps are fleas. Besides, bed bugs do not fly because they probably stink bugs. Bed bugs can crawl on the wall to search for a host to feed on.

You also found out some tips to control and prevent the bed bugs from spreading. Previously, you are informed about the various types of bed bugs too. Have all your questions about bed bugs answered? So, do bed bugs jump?

Source:

https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/top-ten-tips-prevent-or-control-bed-bugs

https://www.orkin.com/other/bed-bugs/types-of-bedbugs

Do Bed Bugs Jump? Know How They Move and the Treatments [UPDATED]