If you’ve ever had bed bugs, you’ve probably noticed that they aren’t always in the same place. Like other insects, bed bugs move from location to location. Bed bugs are tiny and can be almost invisible to the naked eye, so they can be hard to track.
This article will discuss the question: how fast do bed bugs move, in addition to other information about how bed bugs get around.
Bed Bugs Move Fast for Their Size
If you are wondering, How fast do bed bugs move? The short answer is pretty fast. On most surfaces, bed bugs can crawl three to four feet per minute. That may seem slow to us until you consider how small bed bugs are. If you scale a bed bug and that distance to human size, it is the equivalent of an average adult sprinting.
If you’ve ever seen an ant move, bed bugs move at a similar speed. While bed bugs don’t move around lighting fast, they can still cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. If you take your eye off the bed bugs, the next time you look, they may be in a totally different area.
Why Do Bed Bugs Move?
Bed bugs are just like any other insect or animal — they need to eat to survive. That and shelter are the primary motivations behind moving around. Bed bugs will always follow their food source: humans and pets.
They like to stay as close as possible to their food source, which is why they often live in beds. When bed bugs realize that their food source has left and is not coming back, they will move on to find the next food source.
Despite their ability to move around, it’s important to note that bed bugs generally like to stay in the same place if they can. Once they find a stable food source, they like to stay there, burrow, nest, and multiply.
If bed bugs don’t have a reason to move to another area, they won’t. That’s why just a couple of bed bugs can become a full infestation when left untreated.
Do Bed Bugs Jump or Fly?
Bed bugs are often found in your bed or furniture, so it’s natural to think that they may be able to jump or fly. Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs cannot jump or fly. Their only mode of transportation is crawling.
Bed bugs can very easily move vertically up beds and furniture without jumping or flying. Even though their only mode of transportation is on the ground, that doesn’t mean they can’t cover a lot of ground. Bed bugs have been known to move from one room to another to follow their food source and can do this quickly.
How to Get Rid of Moving Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are an irritating problem that will always get worse over time. As soon as you notice bed bugs, it is important to act to get rid of them before they multiply.
To get rid of bed bugs, wash all of your bedding and clothing in the area where you’ve identified the bugs. Use the hottest water and dryer setting you can. Next, vacuum all floors, furniture, bedding, and baseboards in the home or business thoroughly. You should also steam clean your walls, floors, furniture, and mattress.
You can do this yourself with a portable steam cleaner or hire a professional cleaner with knowledge of steaming and bed bugs.
Protect Your Home and Business from Moving Bed Bugs
If you’ve been wondering, How fast do bed bugs move? Now you know. Knowing a bit more about bed bugs and their behaviors will make you better equipped to protect your home and business from these pesky bugs.
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