Home >> Science & Nature >> Insects & Science

Where Bed Bugs Live

Bedbugs are usually found hiding in mattresses, but they thrive anywhere they have access to their preferred food source--humans. These blood-sucking insects are growing in number in the United States and other countries.

History
- Colonists brought the first bedbugs to the Americas in the 1700s. By the 1950s, the insecticide DDT nearly wiped out the U.S. bedbug population. Today, infestations are increasing, especially in the United States, Australia and Europe.
Significance
- Bedbugs have reappeared because of the phasing out of DDT and an increase in world travel and commerce. Bedbugs transported in luggage, clothes and goods can survive and multiply in new locations.
Geography
- The most common type of bedbug, Cimex lectularius, prefers the temperate climates of North America, Europe and Central Asia. Other bedbug species live in Australia, West Africa and South America.
Bedrooms
- Bedbugs love bedrooms, because sleeping humans are their prey. They hide in the seams and folds of mattresses and in box springs and bed frames.
Other Locations
- Bedbugs also infest sofas, chairs or other upholstered furniture, as well as closets, dressers, baseboards or carpets. They do not like metal surfaces.

Insects & Science