How Do Bed Bugs Spread Between Neighbours?

How bed bugs spread between neighbouring homes

Bed bugs don’t respect property lines. In terraced houses, semis and flats with shared walls or communal areas, they can spread between neighbours by crawling through gaps and hitchhiking on belongings. If you’ve noticed bites or signs next door, it’s wise to learn how transmission really happens—and how to stop it calmly and effectively.

As industry heat-treatment specialists, ThermoPest focuses on evidence, not myths. Below we explain the science of neighbour-to-neighbour spread, what helps (and what doesn’t), and how targeted whole-room heat treatment eradicates every life stage—even in complex, multi-occupancy buildings.

What people believe vs reality

Belief: “Bed bugs only live in beds.” Reality: They harbour in any narrow recess: skirting boards, sockets, furniture frames, carpet edges and behind pictures.
Belief: “They jump or fly from place to place.” Reality: They crawl and hitchhike on items, moving through building voids and travelling on people’s belongings.
Belief: “Clean homes don’t get bed bugs.” Reality: Cleanliness doesn’t determine risk. Access and opportunity do—shared walls, high turnover of visitors, and second-hand items all raise exposure.

The science of spread between neighbours

Bed bugs are driven by heat and carbon dioxide cues and will explore through the tiniest cracks. In multi-unit buildings, they commonly move along:

Gaps around pipe penetrations, sockets, cable conduits and skirting boards
Under door thresholds, along hallways and via lift lobbies
On soft furnishings, luggage, laundry bags and parcels moving between units

Adults and nymphs can survive months without a blood meal and are increasingly resistant to common insecticides. Eggs are particularly resilient and can be shielded deep inside furniture. This is why safe, even heating above the lethal threshold is critical; see what temperature kills bed bugs for a science-led overview of the temperatures and hold times required.

Common mistakes that make spread worse

Using foggers or sprays alone: These rarely reach hidden harbourages and can disperse bugs into neighbouring voids.
Partial room treatment: Treating only the bedroom lets insects retreat to lounges, hallways or next door.
Moving infested items: Dragging a bed or sofa through shared corridors spreads the problem.
Skipping monitoring: Without follow-up checks, small survivor pockets in “cold spots” can rebound.

Practical steps you can do safely

Inspect seams, bed frames and skirting with a torch. If you’re unsure what to look for, review how to check for bed bugs.
Reduce clutter around beds and sofas; this removes harbourage and improves treatment penetration.
Launder bedding and soft items at 60°C and tumble dry on hot where safe. Bag items before moving through common areas.
Vacuum slowly using a crevice tool and dispose of bags promptly in sealed liners.
Coordinate with adjacent neighbours or building management so treatment can be planned holistically.
Before a professional visit, read preparing your home for treatment to maximise success.

Why whole-room heat treatment works best

Chemical-only approaches struggle against hidden harbourages, egg resilience and resistance. Professionally delivered heat solves these challenges by design:

Sustained lethal temperature: Whole rooms are raised and held at target temperatures long enough to kill eggs, nymphs and adults in situ. See the science behind what temperature kills bed bugs.
No cold spots: Multiple heaters, air movers and continuous temperature mapping ensure even distribution so insulated areas inside furniture and wall voids reach kill temperatures.
Sensors and monitoring: We place calibrated probes across the space and inside key items; temperatures are tracked and recorded to verify that every zone meets the lethal threshold.
All life stages killed: Unlike many chemicals, heat reliably neutralises eggs—the usual source of “rebound” after DIY efforts.
Immediate re-entry, minimal residue: Rooms can be used once they cool; there are no lingering chemical smells or residues.

For a step-by-step view of how we plan, heat and verify results, see our bed bug heat treatment process. After clearance, we’ll help you monitor your property after treatment to detect any reintroduction early.

ThermoPest heat expertise for homes and businesses

ThermoPest carries out precision heat treatments in houses and flats, and at scale for hotels, hostels, care settings and HMOs. If you manage multi-unit accommodation, our commercial heat treatment for hotels and landlords is designed to minimise downtime, protect reputation and coordinate units that share walls, risers and corridors. For households, we provide clear planning, safe execution and practical aftercare that prevents reintroduction.

FAQ’S

Question: Can bed bugs move between flats through walls and pipework?

Answer: Yes. Bed bugs readily travel along gaps around pipes, electrical trunking, skirting boards and door frames to reach adjacent units. They follow heat and carbon dioxide cues and exploit tiny cracks you might never notice. DIY sprays often fail to penetrate these voids and can disperse insects further. As a safe step, seal obvious cracks around service penetrations with appropriate filler; in professional practice we pair this with whole-room heat so concealed voids reach lethal temperatures.

Question: How quickly can an infestation spread from a neighbour’s home?

Answer: Spread can be gradual—measured in days to weeks—as bugs explore for new hosts, but it accelerates when items are moved between units. Shared laundry rooms, corridors and lift lobbies provide regular hitchhiking opportunities. Because eggs survive standard cleaning, a single transferred item can seed a new focus. Use sealed bags for laundry and minimise moving soft furnishings until treatment is complete; in professional practice we also monitor adjacent units to verify containment.

Question: Do bed bugs travel on clothes, parcels and shared laundry?

Answer: They can hitchhike on fabrics and in seams of bags, coats and parcels, though they prefer stable harbourages close to resting areas. Short transits in shared laundry areas or communal hallways are common pathways. Home steaming and hot washes help, but inconsistent heat leaves cold spots that let eggs persist. Bag items before transit and wash/dry at high heat where safe; in professional practice, room heat treatment ensures all items in the space reach lethal temperatures at the core.

Question: If I treat my flat but my neighbour doesn’t, will they just come back?

Answer: Reintroduction is possible if adjacent sources remain active, which is why coordination is important in terraces and blocks. Proper heat treatment kills all life stages in your unit, but untreated neighbouring harbourages can reseed over time. Chemical-only barriers are unreliable due to resistance and complex building routes. Talk to your neighbour/landlord and plan a coordinated programme; in professional practice we combine verified heat treatment with follow-up monitoring to catch any re-entry early.

Question: How do I confirm bed bugs and avoid confusing new bites with a reinfestation?

Answer: Confirm with physical evidence: live bugs, cast skins, faecal spots or eggs around beds and sofas, rather than relying on skin reactions alone. After treatment, use interceptors and scheduled inspections to distinguish a true reinfestation from reintroduction scares or unrelated skin marks. DIY sprays can mask activity briefly without eliminating eggs, causing stop–start symptoms. Keep a simple log of checks and use passive monitors; in professional practice, we validate eradication with temperature records and post-treatment monitoring.

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