Are bed bugs due to poor hygiene?

Bed bugs are not due to poor hygiene, which is a common misconception that causes shame, because bed bugs can infest any home regardless of cleanliness, from spotless five star hotels to cluttered apartments, as they are attracted to warmth, carbon dioxide, and blood, not dirt or filth. While clutter provides more hiding places and can make treatment harder, even immaculate homes can get bed bugs through hitchhiking on luggage, clothing, used furniture, and shared walls in apartments. Bed bugs are brought in from travel, staying in infested hotels, bringing home used mattresses or furniture, visiting infested homes, and through laundry facilities. In fact, excessive cleaning with strong chemicals does not prevent bed bugs, though regular vacuuming and washing bedding on high heat can help detect them early. Poor hygiene does not cause bed bugs, but good hygiene practices like reducing clutter, vacuuming regularly, washing bedding weekly on high heat, and encasing mattresses can help with early detection and make professional treatment more effective. Anyone can get bed bugs, regardless of socioeconomic status or cleanliness, and blaming hygiene prevents people from seeking help promptly. If you have bed bugs, it is not a reflection of your cleanliness, and you should contact professional pest control rather than feeling ashamed, as early treatment prevents spread.