We had bat bugs growing up - not bed bugs. This was from living on a farm with a huge barn.....and bats. We went through, bleached everything and did an overhaul cleaning and that got rid of them. However, humans are not their preferred host.

Bed bugs aren't a sign of dirty people anymore. It used to be, if you had them, you were just gross people in a gross house. But people travel internationally so often now that they're common. The Hilton has the most cases because they have the most international locations - even though they're very nice hotel.

The only way to really, truly get rid of them is to bomb your house. Or have a pest control company come out and spray. The problem is that insects like these can lay "dormant" while they don't have a host. Just like fleas. So it may seem like there isn't a problem but once you introduce humans (typically they go by the presence of high CO2 levels, shadows and warmth) they come out of estivation. And if you are in an apt. complex or duplex the entire place needs to be done. Because they will only come back over.

And, if you are interested.....google how they mate. It's called traumatic insemination but I won't describe it here.....but it will show you why I'm an entomologist haha