Why are Bed Bugs so hard to get rid of?

Bed bugs are tiny, flat, and great at squeezing into the smallest cracks and corners. They don’t just hide in your mattress seams they can show up behind loose wallpaper, inside electrical outlets, or even in the joints of your furniture. That’s what makes them so tricky to find and kill. 

A single female bed bug can lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime, and those babies start laying eggs within just a few weeks. They multiply fast, especially in warm indoor temperatures (around 21–28°C), which is pretty much what we keep our homes at. That means an infestation can grow quickly, even before you notice it. 

Think leaving your place for a while will starve them out? Think again. Adult bed bugs can survive for months, sometimes even over a year, without feeding. Nymphs (young bugs) can also last a surprisingly long time. So, just leaving a room empty doesn’t solve the problem. 

They’re Picky and Some Are Resistant. Bed bugs are sensitive to smells and might avoid areas sprayed with strong chemicals or cleaners. Even worse, many have built up resistance to common insecticides, which makes DIY treatments much less effective than they used to be.

To actually get rid of them, you need to clean and treat everything: all your bedding and clothes, furniture, carpets, cracks in the walls, and even things like baseboards or behind picture frames. Any clutter gives them more places to hide, so that has to go too. 

There’s no one-step fix. Every single infested item and space has to be properly cleaned or treated. That means emptying drawers, vacuuming thoroughly, using high heat where possible, and sometimes treating things multiple times. It’s a lotbut it works when it’s done right.