Last Updated on July 27, 2026 by Daniel Globe
Bed bugs are small, flat, reddish-brown insects that feed on people and other warm-blooded animals while they sleep. In an apartment building, they can spread beyond one unit by crawling through structural gaps or by hitchhiking on belongings. Early reporting, correct identification, inspection of nearby units, and coordinated treatment give residents and property managers the best chance of stopping an infestation before it grows.
Quick Answer
Yes. Bed bugs can move from one apartment to another by crawling through gaps around walls, baseboards, wiring, pipes, and doors. They also hitchhike on luggage, clothing, furniture, and laundry. Report a suspected infestation immediately so the affected unit and nearby apartments can be inspected and treated together.
Key Takeaways
- Bed bugs do not fly or jump, but they crawl well and hide easily in small spaces.
- In apartments, they may spread through wall voids, gaps around pipes and wiring, doorways, and shared spaces.
- Bites alone cannot confirm an infestation. Look for live bugs, shed skins, eggs, fecal spots, and rusty stains.
- Notify the landlord or property manager promptly so nearby units can be inspected.
- Professional integrated pest management is usually more reliable than sprays, foggers, or improvised heat treatments.
At a Glance
| Time Required | About 20 to 30 minutes for an initial inspection and written report; complete control often requires follow-up visits and monitoring. |
| Difficulty | Moderate to identify; difficult to eliminate without experienced professional help. |
| Tools Needed | Flashlight, clear container or tape for a sample, sealable bags, clothes dryer, vacuum, mattress encasements, and interceptor traps. |
| Cost | Basic inspection and monitoring supplies are relatively inexpensive. Professional treatment costs vary by location, infestation size, building layout, and local landlord-tenant rules. |
Can Bed Bugs Travel Between Apartments?
Yes. Bed bugs can actively crawl from an infested apartment into neighboring units, and people can unknowingly carry them between locations. A peer-reviewed field study found marked bed bugs in apartments next to, above, below, and across the hallway from infested units. The researchers confirmed active movement between apartments in five of the six apartments they studied.
A bed bug problem in one unit may be a building problem. Nearby apartments should be inspected promptly, even when residents have not reported bites.
Apartment buildings are vulnerable because units share walls, floors, ceilings, hallways, utility lines, laundry rooms, and other common areas. Bed bugs may crawl through cracks around baseboards, wiring, plumbing, light sockets, and door frames. They can also be carried on clothing, shoes, bags, bedding, used furniture, and moving boxes.
How Far Can Bed Bugs Travel?
There is no reliable “20-foot rule.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that bed bugs can travel more than 100 feet in a night, although they usually stay close to where people sleep. In apartments, the practical concern is not a fixed distance. It is whether connected units, shared pathways, or transported belongings allow the insects to reach another host.
Which Apartments Should Be Inspected?
At minimum, the reported unit and apartments directly beside, above, and below it should be evaluated. Experienced housing guidance also recommends checking the unit across the hallway and relevant common areas. The inspection area may need to expand if additional activity is found.
How Bed Bugs Travel
Bed bugs primarily move by crawling. They do not have functional wings, and they do not jump. Their flat bodies let them hide in seams, folds, cracks, and narrow openings. They spread in two main ways: active crawling and human-assisted hitchhiking.
Hitchhiking on Belongings
The most common long-distance spread happens when bed bugs or their eggs hide in luggage, overnight bags, backpacks, folded clothing, bedding, furniture, or moving boxes. A person may transport them without seeing them. Shared laundry rooms can also create opportunities for transfer when infested items are carried in open baskets or placed on common tables.
Crawling Through Building Gaps
Within a multi-unit building, bed bugs may move along wall voids and through openings around pipes, cables, baseboards, outlets, or door frames. They may also cross hallways. Sealing accessible cracks and installing door sweeps can discourage movement, but these steps do not replace inspection and treatment.
| Travel Route | Examples | Best Response |
|---|---|---|
| Belongings | Luggage, clothing, bedding, furniture, boxes | Inspect, bag, dry with heat when appropriate, and avoid moving untreated items |
| Building openings | Wall cracks, baseboards, pipes, wiring, outlets | Inspect connected units and seal accessible gaps after treatment planning |
| Shared areas | Laundry rooms, hallways, lounges, storage rooms | Use sealed bags, avoid common folding surfaces, and report sightings |
Bed Bug Basics
The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, has troubled people for thousands of years, with evidence associated with ancient Egypt. Adults are usually about 5 millimeters long and are often compared with an apple seed in size and shape. Before feeding, they are flat and oval. After a blood meal, they become more rounded and darker red.
The life cycle includes the egg, five nymph stages, and the adult stage. Every nymph stage needs a blood meal before molting. According to the CDC bed bug life-cycle guide, a female may lay about five eggs per day during adult life. Under favorable conditions, a female can produce hundreds of eggs, which is one reason an untreated infestation can grow quickly.
Bed bugs are not known to spread disease to people. Their bites can still cause itching, loss of sleep, anxiety, allergic reactions, and skin infections caused by repeated scratching. Some people develop no visible bite marks, so the absence of bites does not prove that an apartment is clear.
Signs of Bed Bug Infestation
| Sign of Infestation | What It May Look Like |
|---|---|
| Live bed bugs | Flat, reddish-brown insects in mattress seams, bed frames, headboards, sofas, or cracks |
| Dark fecal spots | Small dark or rusty dots on sheets, mattresses, furniture, or nearby walls |
| Blood stains | Small reddish stains from a fed bed bug that was crushed |
| Eggs and shed skins | Tiny pale eggs, empty eggshells, or translucent cast skins near hiding places |
| Musty odor | A sweet, unpleasant odor that is more common with a heavy infestation |
| Possible bites | Itchy red marks that may appear randomly or in a line, although some people show no reaction |
Note: Bite marks are not enough to diagnose bed bugs because other insects and skin conditions can look similar. Confirmation is strongest when a live bug, nymph, or clear physical evidence is identified by a pest professional or qualified extension expert.
Where to Inspect
Use a bright flashlight and inspect slowly. Start with mattress seams, labels, piping, box springs, bed-frame joints, screw holes, headboards, nightstands, upholstered furniture, and the edges of nearby carpet. Check behind loose wallpaper, pictures, outlet covers, and baseboards only when it is safe to do so. In a serious infestation, bugs may be found away from the bed.
How to Save a Sample
If you find a suspected bed bug, capture it in a clear, sealed container or secure it to clear tape. Take sharp photos and note the date and exact location. This evidence can help a landlord, pest management professional, health department, or cooperative extension office confirm the identification.
What to Do During the First 24 Hours
- Document the evidence. Photograph the bug, stains, shed skins, or eggs and record where each sign was found.
- Notify the landlord or property manager in writing. Report the issue promptly and keep a copy of the message.
- Ask for a professional inspection. The affected apartment and nearby units may need evaluation.
- Limit movement of belongings. Do not carry loose bedding, clothing, or furniture into hallways, vehicles, another apartment, or a shared laundry room.
- Bag items before transport. Put washable or dryable items into sealed bags and empty them directly into the machine.
- Follow the treatment preparation sheet. Preparation varies by treatment method, so do not throw everything away or empty the apartment without instructions.
Warning: Do not rely on bug bombs or total-release foggers, and do not try to heat an apartment with ovens, grills, space heaters, or a thermostat. These methods may fail to reach hidden bugs and can create fire, explosion, pesticide, or carbon-monoxide hazards.
Should You Sleep in Another Room?
Moving to another bedroom or staying with a neighbor can spread bed bugs to a new sleeping area or another home. Unless a pest professional, medical provider, or building official tells you otherwise, keep sleeping in the usual location while using the monitoring and isolation steps recommended for the treatment plan.
Should You Throw Away the Mattress or Furniture?
Not automatically. Many mattresses, box springs, and furniture items can be treated or enclosed. Moving infested furniture through a building can scatter bed bugs. If an item must be discarded, follow local rules and the pest professional’s instructions, wrap or contain it, and clearly mark it so another person does not take it home.
Preventing Bed Bug Infestation
Prevention cannot guarantee that bed bugs will never enter an apartment, but careful habits can reduce the risk and help residents find them early.
Inside the Apartment
- Reduce clutter near beds and upholstered furniture so there are fewer hiding places.
- Use bed-bug-rated encasements on mattresses and box springs to simplify inspection.
- Place interceptor traps under bed and sofa legs and check them regularly.
- Keep beds slightly away from walls and keep bedding from touching the floor.
- Seal accessible cracks around baseboards, pipes, wiring, and light sockets after coordinating with building management.
- Consider a door sweep to discourage movement beneath the apartment door.
Shared Laundry Rooms
- Carry laundry in a sealed plastic bag or closed container.
- Do not place clean clothing on shared tables where infested items may have rested.
- For items that can safely tolerate it, use a high-heat dryer cycle. The EPA recommends high-temperature drying for 30 minutes to kill bed bugs; washing alone generally is not enough.
- Place clean, dry items directly into a new or clean sealed bag for the trip home.
Travel and Luggage
- Inspect the mattress seams, headboard area, and luggage rack before unpacking.
- Keep luggage off beds, sofas, and floors when possible.
- Inspect bags before leaving and again before bringing them into the sleeping area at home.
- Unpack directly into the washer or dryer when appropriate, and inspect or treat the suitcase separately.
Second-Hand Furniture and Clothing
Avoid furniture or mattresses left at the curb. Inspect used furniture, clothing, and bedding carefully before bringing them inside. Whenever possible, buy or rent from a seller with a written bed bug prevention and inspection policy.
Pro Tip: Early detection is easier when the bed is simple to inspect. Keep the area uncluttered, use light-colored encasements, and check interceptor traps on a regular schedule.
Treating Bed Bug Infestations
Effective treatment usually combines inspection, physical removal, heat or steam where appropriate, encasements, monitoring, sealing, and carefully selected pesticides. This coordinated method is called integrated pest management, or IPM. In multi-family housing, residents, management, maintenance staff, and the pest management professional all need to follow the same plan.
Professional Inspection and Building Coordination
The pest professional should confirm the insect, map where activity is found, and inspect connected living spaces. The EPA’s current landlord guidance recommends prompt inspection, evaluation of adjacent units, resident cooperation, and active monitoring after treatment.
Heat Treatment
Professional heat treatment can kill bed bugs and eggs when the required temperature reaches all hiding places for enough time. EPA guidance describes heating infested items or areas to at least 120°F (about 49°C) for 90 minutes to ensure eggs are killed. Room size, airflow, wall voids, furniture, and cool spots make temperature monitoring essential. Improvised household heating is not a safe substitute.
Pesticide Treatment
Pesticides may be part of an IPM plan, but no single spray works in every situation. Only products legally registered for bed bug control should be used, and the label must be followed exactly. Resistance, missed hiding places, poor preparation, or failure to inspect neighboring areas can cause treatment to fail. A licensed professional can select products with suitable modes of action and apply them safely.
Physical Controls
- Vacuum visible bugs, eggs, and debris, then seal and dispose of the vacuum contents as directed.
- Use appropriate steam on seams and cracks when the material can tolerate heat and moisture.
- Install mattress and box-spring encasements and leave them in place as directed.
- Use interceptor traps to detect continuing activity.
- Reduce clutter and place treated belongings in clean, sealed containers.
- Seal cracks and crevices after the treatment plan accounts for bugs that may be hiding inside them.
Monitoring and Follow-Up
One visit may not be enough because eggs can survive some methods and hidden bugs may be missed. Keep a written log of sightings, bites, trap catches, and treatment dates. Follow-up inspection and monitoring should continue until the pest professional and building management determine that the infestation has been eliminated.
Legal Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants
Bed bug laws differ by country, state, province, city, housing program, and lease. The information below is general education, not legal advice. Residents and property owners should check the local housing code, public-health rules, lease terms, and any government-assisted housing requirements that apply to the property.
Note: Responsibility for arranging or paying for treatment cannot be decided from the presence of bed bugs alone. Local law, the lease, the building’s infestation history, and evidence about how the problem spread may all matter.
Common Landlord or Property-Manager Responsibilities
- Respond promptly to a reported infestation.
- Arrange accurate identification and inspection by qualified personnel.
- Evaluate nearby units and common areas when the building layout or evidence suggests spread.
- Provide clear preparation instructions and coordinate access.
- Use a comprehensive treatment and monitoring plan rather than a single spray.
- Follow applicable notice, habitability, pesticide, privacy, and recordkeeping rules.
Common Tenant Responsibilities
- Report suspected bed bugs promptly and in writing.
- Provide reasonable access for inspection and treatment when proper notice is given.
- Follow preparation and post-treatment instructions.
- Avoid moving untreated belongings into other units or common areas.
- Keep records of reports, inspections, receipts, notices, and treatment dates.
- Check local tenant-support, housing, or legal-aid resources when a dispute arises.
Conclusion and Additional Resources
Bed bugs can travel between apartments, both by crawling through connected parts of a building and by hitchhiking on personal belongings. The best response is fast, calm, and coordinated: confirm the insect, document the evidence, notify management, inspect nearby units, use integrated pest management, and monitor after treatment.
Do not depend on bite patterns, bug bombs, washing alone, or a single spray. Bed bug control is more successful when residents and building management work with an experienced pest professional and follow one building-wide plan. A peer-reviewed apartment study provides direct evidence that bed bugs can disperse into neighboring units, including apartments across a hallway.
Sources
- CDC: About Bed Bugs — identification, health effects, spread, hiding places, and infestation signs.
- CDC DPDx: Bed Bug Biology and Life Cycle — life stages, egg laying, feeding, and diagnostic limitations of bites.
- EPA: Controlling Bed Bugs Using Integrated Pest Management — dryer heat, professional heat parameters, encasements, monitoring, and pesticide use.
- EPA: What Landlords Need to Know About Bed Bugs — prompt response, adjacent-unit evaluation, resident cooperation, and follow-up monitoring.
- University of Minnesota Extension: Bed Bug Prevention and Control — renter actions, professional treatment, neighboring-unit inspections, prevention, and monitoring.
- PLOS ONE: Bed Bug Movement Within and Between Apartments — field evidence of active dispersal to neighboring units.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are small, flat, wingless insects that feed on the blood of people and animals while they sleep. Adults are reddish-brown and about the size of an apple seed. They hide in seams, cracks, furniture, and other sheltered places near sleeping or resting areas.
Can bed bugs travel from one apartment to another?
Yes. They can crawl through connected building spaces and can be carried on clothing, luggage, furniture, bedding, boxes, and other belongings. Research has documented movement into apartments beside, above, below, and across the hallway from an infested unit.
How do bed bugs move through apartment buildings?
They may crawl through wall voids and openings around baseboards, wiring, plumbing, outlets, doors, floors, and ceilings. They may also cross hallways or hitchhike on items carried between apartments and shared spaces.
Can bed bugs fly or jump?
No. Bed bugs do not fly or jump. They crawl and use people or belongings for longer-distance transport.
What are the clearest signs of an infestation?
The strongest signs are live bugs, eggs, shed skins, dark fecal spots, and rusty blood stains around mattresses, bed frames, headboards, and upholstered furniture. A musty odor may occur in a heavy infestation. Bites alone are not proof.
Will washing clothes kill bed bugs?
Washing alone may not kill every life stage. For items that can safely tolerate it, the EPA recommends drying at a high temperature for 30 minutes. Transport potentially infested laundry in sealed bags and place clean items into a new or clean bag.
What should I do if I suspect bed bugs in my apartment?
Save a sample or clear photos, document the location, notify the landlord or property manager in writing, and request a professional inspection. Avoid moving loose belongings, sleeping in another unit, using foggers, or discarding furniture before receiving treatment instructions.
Who is responsible for bed bug treatment in a rental?
Responsibility varies by local law, housing program, lease terms, and the facts of the infestation. Report the problem promptly, keep written records, review local housing rules, and contact a tenant-support, housing, or legal-aid service when responsibility or payment is disputed.
When should I seek medical care for bed bug bites?
Most bites need only basic hygiene and relief from itching. Seek medical care for signs of infection, severe swelling, a widespread reaction, or symptoms of a serious allergy. Trouble breathing or facial swelling requires urgent medical attention.