This kind of headline is classic clickbait, frequently circulating on the internet and social media. It stirs up panic (“It’s happening TODAY!”) and offers a seemingly simple explanation (“Just like that!”).

But the reality regarding bed bugs and heat is somewhat different.

What’s really behind heat and bed bugs?

Bed bugs aren’t attracted by the heat outside: Bed bugs aren’t mosquitoes or wasps. They don’t read the weather and don’t wait at an open window until it’s 30°C outside to fly into your living room. Heat accelerates their development: Higher indoor temperatures (around 26–30°C) cause bed bugs to reproduce faster, grow faster, and become hungrier. If you already have bed bugs at home, the problem worsens significantly in the heat.

Travel and vacations: In summer and during hot weather, most people travel, stay in hotels or guesthouses, or use public transportation. They usually bring bed bugs home in suitcases and luggage—not by crawling through windows in the heat.

True myths and facts about how bed bugs get into homes

Myth: “They fly through windows in the heat.” Fact: Bed bugs don’t have wings and can’t fly. At most, they can crawl through stairwells or cracks in neighbors’ apartments, but even then, only passively.

Myth: “They come to you because your apartment is messy.” Fact: Bed bugs don’t care about cleanliness. They are only interested in people (food) and hiding places (cracks, mattresses).

Myth: “In summer, airing out the apartment is enough, and the heat will kill them.” Fact: To kill bed bugs with heat, a temperature of over 45–50 °C (113–122 °F) for several hours is required, acting directly in their hiding places. What should you pay particular attention to in summer?

Check your accommodation while traveling: Before unpacking at your hotel, check the seams of the mattress and the bed frame.

Don’t put suitcases next to the bed: Don’t place your luggage on the bed or directly underneath it on the carpet (the bathroom or a luggage rack are ideal).

Buy secondhand: Always thoroughly inspect furniture, mattresses, or clothing from flea markets or wash them at a high temperature. Did this article on social media interest you, or do you suspect you have bed bugs in your home?