Module 3 of 7 · about 5 minutes
How bed bugs travel between flats, rooms and buildings, and what that means for your work.
Reviewed by the ThermoPest technical team · Last reviewed October 2026
Bed bugs can't fly or jump. They travel on people's belongings, in second-hand furniture, and by crawling between rooms through gaps in walls, floors and around pipes. In a block or a hotel, one infested flat or room can spread to those next to it, above and below, which is why neighbouring rooms and homes should be checked whenever bed bugs are found.
The four common routes
Bags, clothes and bedding carried in by residents, guests, visitors and people moving in.
Beds, sofas and mattresses from other homes, or picked up from the street.
Cracks in walls and floors, gaps around pipes, cables and skirting, shared risers.
Residents or guests moving to another room or flat can take bed bugs with them.
Bed bugs can’t fly or jump. They crawl and are carried.
Blocks, hotels, hostels, HMOs, student halls and care settings have many people, frequent moves in and out, shared walls and communal areas where furniture gets left. A problem in one unit that isn’t dealt with quickly can become a building-wide problem.
One flat or room affected: check beside, above and below
The same applies to hotel rooms, hostel rooms and student flats. Also think about the floor below and shared service risers.
Related: How do you get bed bugs? · How to prevent bed bugs
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