Bed bugs are one of the more stressful pest problems people can deal with. They are small, hard to spot, and can spread easily through belongings, furniture, luggage, clothing, and shared living spaces.

A bed bug infestation does not mean a home is dirty. Bed bugs are hitchhiking pests, which means they are usually brought into a property from somewhere else. Once inside, they hide close to where people sleep or rest, then come out to feed.

Below are some of the most common causes of bed bug infestations in Wellington homes, rentals, apartments, and accommodation sites.

Travel And Accommodation

One of the most common ways bed bugs spread is through travel. Hotels, motels, hostels, lodges, short-term rentals, and shared accommodation can all be places where bed bugs are picked up.

Bed bugs may hide in mattress seams, bed frames, headboards, skirting boards, bedside furniture, carpet edges, curtains, and luggage areas. When a suitcase, backpack, or clothing is placed near an infested area, bed bugs can climb inside and be carried to the next property.

This is why infestations often appear after someone has been travelling, staying in accommodation, or hosting someone who has recently travelled.

Second-Hand Furniture

Second-hand furniture is another common cause of bed bug problems. Bed bugs can hide deep inside cracks, seams, joins, screw holes, fabric folds, and timber framing.

Items that can carry bed bugs include:

• Beds
• Mattresses
• Bed bases
• Couches
• Armchairs
• Drawers
• Bedside tables
• Headboards
• Clothing bags
• Stored household items

The issue is that furniture can look clean on the outside while still having bed bugs hidden inside. Even one pregnant female bed bug can be enough to start a new infestation.

Moving House

Bed bugs can spread during the moving process, especially if an infested item is moved from one property to another. Mattresses, bed bases, couches, boxes, bags, and clothing are all common hiding places.

In rental properties, bed bugs may also already be present before a new tenant moves in. They can remain hidden in rooms, cracks, carpets, and furniture, then become active again once people start sleeping in the property.

If bites begin shortly after moving into a new home, it is worth checking the bedroom and furniture carefully.

Apartments, Units, And Shared Buildings

Bed bugs can be harder to control in apartments, blocks of units, boarding houses, hostels, and shared accommodation because people live close together and belongings are frequently moved between rooms.

In some cases, bed bugs may spread through:

• Shared walls
• Hallways
• Laundry areas
• Furniture movement
• Visitors
• Bedding and clothing
• Gaps around skirting boards or service penetrations

If only one room is treated but the source is nearby, bed bugs may continue to return. This is why proper inspection is important in shared buildings.

Visitors And Overnight Guests

Bed bugs can be brought into a home by visitors, overnight guests, or family members who have unknowingly picked them up elsewhere.

They may arrive in:

• Luggage
• Overnight bags
• Jackets
• Clothing
• Blankets
• Sleeping bags
• Backpacks

This does not mean the visitor has done anything wrong. Bed bugs are easy to pick up and hard to notice early on.

Clothing, Bags, And Personal Belongings

Bed bugs do not live on people like fleas or lice, but they can hide in personal belongings. Bags, work gear, school bags, gym bags, clothing piles, and stored linen can all provide hiding places.

This can be an issue where people regularly move between different homes, accommodation sites, workplaces, care facilities, or shared living spaces.

Once bed bugs are brought into a bedroom, they usually move towards beds, couches, and resting areas where they can feed at night.

DIY Treatment Not Reaching The Source

Bed bug infestations often get worse when the treatment does not reach the hiding areas. Surface sprays may kill some visible bed bugs, but many will remain hidden in cracks, seams, wall gaps, furniture joins, and bed frames.

Common DIY problems include:

• Only spraying the mattress
• Throwing out furniture without treating the room
• Moving infested items through the house
• Sleeping in another room and spreading the infestation
• Using supermarket sprays that do not reach hidden harbourages
• Not treating nearby furniture, skirting boards, or cracks

Bed bugs are very good at hiding. If the source is missed, the infestation can continue even after some adults are killed.

Clutter And Stored Items

Clutter does not cause bed bugs, but it can make them much harder to find and treat. The more hiding places there are, the harder it is to inspect the room properly.

Common hiding areas include:

• Clothing piles
• Boxes under beds
• Stored bags
• Linen piles
• Furniture gaps
• Bedside drawers
• Carpet edges
• Wall cracks

Reducing clutter before a treatment can help improve the result, but it should be done carefully so bed bugs are not spread into other rooms.

Not Identifying The Problem Early

Bed bug infestations usually start small. At first, there may only be a few bites, small black marks, or the odd bug seen near the bed. Because they are small and mostly active at night, the early signs are easy to miss.

Common signs include:

• Small black spotting on mattress seams or bed frames
• Blood marks on sheets
• Shed skins
• Live bugs in cracks or seams
• Bites appearing overnight
• A musty smell in heavier infestations

The earlier bed bugs are found, the easier they are to control.

Are Bed Bugs Caused By Poor Hygiene?

No. Bed bugs are not caused by poor hygiene. Clean homes, hotels, apartments, rentals, and businesses can all get bed bugs.

They are usually brought in from somewhere else and then spread through belongings, furniture, bedding, or shared living areas. Cleaning may help reduce hiding places, but it will not usually remove a bed bug infestation by itself.

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