Bed bugs are one of the most frustrating pests to deal with—especially in New York City, where many people live in apartments or shared buildings. You could keep your unit spotless, avoid used furniture, and still end up with bed bugs. How? Because in multi-unit buildings, bed bugs don’t just stay in one place.
If one apartment has a bed bug problem, it’s possible for them to spread to nearby units through walls, ceilings, pipes, or even hallways. That’s why it’s so important to understand how they move—and how to protect your home, even if your neighbors aren’t as careful.
In this post, we’ll explain how bed bugs spread in apartment buildings and what you can do to stop an infestation before it starts.
Why Bed Bugs Are a Big Problem in Apartment Buildings
Bed bugs don’t fly or jump, but they’re excellent travelers. In apartments and multi-unit housing, they can:
- Crawl through cracks in walls or floors
- Move through shared plumbing or electrical wiring
- Travel along baseboards, vents, or light fixtures
- Hitch a ride on laundry, luggage, or used furniture
- Be carried by people or pets without anyone noticing
Because apartment walls are often thin and connected, a bed bug problem in one unit can quickly become a building-wide issue if it’s not handled fast.
Signs Bed Bugs Might Be Spreading
Here are some signs that bed bugs may be coming from a neighboring unit:
- You notice bites or bugs but don’t know how they got there
- The problem keeps coming back, even after cleaning
- Neighbors have reported bed bug issues
- You hear about recent move-ins, evictions, or furniture left in the hallway
Even if you haven’t seen a bed bug yourself, it’s important to stay alert. Bed bugs are small, sneaky, and come out mostly at night.
How to Protect Your Apartment from Bed Bugs
If you live in a shared building, there are still steps you can take to protect your space:
1. Seal Entry Points
Use caulk to seal cracks in walls, baseboards, and around pipes. Bed bugs can squeeze into incredibly small spaces—about the width of a credit card. Blocking these entry points helps keep them from crawling in from other units.
2. Install Door Sweeps and Outlet Covers
Bed bugs can crawl under doors or through electrical outlets. Use door sweeps and outlet covers to create a stronger barrier between your apartment and others.
3. Be Careful with Shared Laundry Areas
If your building has a shared laundry room, transport your clothes in sealed bags and dry them on high heat. Bed bugs can't survive extreme temperatures, so drying your laundry on hot is one of the best ways to kill them.
4. Avoid Used Furniture
Never bring mattresses, couches, or chairs off the street or from unknown sources into your home. Even clean-looking furniture can be infested.
5. Talk to Your Neighbors and Building Manager
If you hear about bed bug problems in other units, don’t stay silent. Building-wide treatment is often needed to fully eliminate an infestation. Many buildings in NYC are required by law to disclose bed bug history—so ask questions if you’re unsure.
What to Do If You Think Bed Bugs Have Spread to Your Unit
Don’t panic, and don’t try to handle it alone. Bed bugs are extremely hard to eliminate with DIY methods. Store-bought sprays often miss the ones hiding deep in cracks or behind walls.
Instead, call a professional bed bugs exterminator NYC like Positive Pest Management. Our team uses safe, proven methods to find and eliminate bed bugs at the source—so they don’t come back. We can also inspect nearby units or work with property managers to treat the whole building if needed.
Why Acting Fast Matters
Bed bugs breed quickly. One pregnant female can lay hundreds of eggs, and in a shared building, that means the infestation can spread to multiple floors in just weeks. The longer you wait, the harder (and more expensive) it becomes to treat the problem.
Early signs like itchy bites, tiny blood stains on your sheets, or dark spots near the mattress should be taken seriously. The faster you act, the better your chances of stopping bed bugs before they get out of hand.
Final Thoughts
Living in an apartment or multi-unit building in New York comes with challenges—bed bugs are one of them. But you don’t have to deal with it alone.
If you’re worried about bed bugs spreading through your building, take action now. Seal cracks, stay alert, and call in the pros as soon as you spot signs of an infestation. At Positive Pest Management, we help New Yorkers stay bed bug-free with expert treatments and fast service you can count on.
Contact us today to learn how we can help protect your apartment from unwanted guests.
