Can Bed Bugs Bite Dogs?
Short answer: yes, bed bugs can bite dogs. They prefer human hosts, but when hungry or if people are less accessible, they will feed on pets, typically in areas with thinner fur such as the belly, groin, ears and muzzle. Bed bugs do not live on dogs like fleas; they hide in nearby cracks and furnishings and emerge briefly to feed. Below, we explain the science, how to protect your pets, and why targeted whole-room heat is the most reliable way to clear an infestation.
What people believe vs the reality
- Belief: “If my dog is itchy it must be fleas.”
Reality: Fleas are common, but bed bugs can also bite dogs. Bed bugs leave small, itchy welts and rarely leave the obvious “flea dirt” you see with fleas. - Belief: “Bed bugs live on pets and travel in their fur.”
Reality: Bed bugs are poor climbers on hair and are not adapted to live on animals. They hide in beds, skirting boards, sofa frames and luggage, then feed and retreat. - Belief: “A flea treatment will fix bed bugs.”
Reality: Flea products do not control bed bugs or their eggs. Misusing insecticides around pets can be hazardous and rarely solves the problem.
Science-backed facts
- Host preference: Bed bugs are attracted to carbon dioxide, body heat and human skin odours. They prefer humans but will bite dogs and other mammals when convenient.
- Where bites occur on dogs: Areas with sparse fur (abdomen, inner thighs, ears) are most exposed. Bites often appear in small clusters or patches of irritation.
- Harbourage behaviour: They nest in furniture joints, bed frames, headboards, skirting and electrical voids, not on the pet. Eggs are glued into hidden cracks and are more heat-tolerant than mobile stages.
- Mobility and spread: While rarely travelling on the dog, bugs can hitchhike on pet bedding, carriers and blankets moved between rooms, cars or kennels.
Common mistakes that prolong infestations
- Relying on flea treatments or off-label pesticides around pets, which do not kill bed bug eggs and can cause exposure risks.
- Moving the dog’s bed to a new room, unintentionally spreading bugs to fresh hiding places.
- Only washing bedding on cool cycles. Bed bug eggs require sustained high temperatures to die.
- Spot-spraying visible bugs and ignoring concealed harbourages in frames, divan bases and skirting.
Practical steps you can do safely
- Launder pet bedding, soft toys and blankets at 60°C and tumble-dry hot where fabric care allows. Seal cleaned items in fresh bags.
- Vacuum slowly along mattress seams, sofa crevices and the dog’s sleeping area; empty the vacuum outside immediately.
- Use passive monitors and interceptors around sleeping areas to track activity and how to check for bed bugs effectively.
- Reduce clutter near the dog’s bed so harbourages are fewer and inspections are easier.
Why heat treatment is the superior solution
Bed bugs and their eggs are highly resilient in cracks where sprays struggle to reach. Whole-room heat treatment raises the entire space, contents and voids to lethal temperatures and holds it there long enough to penetrate furniture frames and fabric cores. This avoids the “cold spot” problem that allows eggs to survive.
- Sustained lethal temperature: Professional systems elevate rooms to 50–60°C and maintain it for hours so heat reaches the core of mattresses, sofas and skirting voids; see what temperature kills bed bugs for the science.
- Sensors and monitoring: Multiple wireless probes verify that hard-to-heat areas hit target temperatures and stay there, preventing survival pockets.
- All life stages killed: Properly delivered heat eliminates nymphs and the more heat-tolerant eggs in one concerted treatment, without chemical residues around pets.
For a clear overview of the steps involved, see our bed bug heat treatment process, including set-up, temperature mapping and safety measures.
ThermoPest’s expertise with pets in mind
As heat-treatment specialists, ThermoPest designs each job around your property and occupants. Pets (and aquaria) are removed for the treatment window, and rooms are monitored with calibrated sensors to ensure even, safe heat delivery. If you manage guest accommodation or rentals, our commercial heat treatment for hotels and landlords minimises downtime and repeat call-backs by eradicating eggs as well as active bugs.
If you think your dog’s sleeping area is involved, we can coordinate safe preparation steps ahead of a visit. Read our guidance on preparing your home for treatment, and how to bed bug heat treatment compares with other methods. Afterward, we help you monitor your property after treatment to confirm full clearance and guard against re-introduction.
FAQ’S
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