How did bed bugs get into my house?

(Urbana, IL)

My landlord had a dumpster put right under my window while my next-door neighbor was moving out and throwing things into it. It turns out his house is full of bed bugs. Yesterday I saw two tiny bugs crawling on my couch right in front of that window. How did they get in?

Editor Response

It's hard to say for sure. Bed bugs don't fly or jump, but they can crawl 5 to 20 feet or more, and when people move out of an infested home, the bugs left behind often wander in search of a new host. If your homes share a wall, they can come through gaps around pipes, outlets and baseboards. Crawling from an outdoor dumpster in through a window is possible but less likely. More often, bed bugs hitch rides on people, bags and furniture. First, confirm what you found: save a bug on clear tape and compare it with pictures, or have it identified by your county extension office. Check the couch seams, cushions and underside, and your bed. If they're bed bugs, tell your landlord right away, in writing. Our guide to the signs of bed bugs shows how to check.