How do bed bugs get into your home?

Bed bugs usually enter homes by hitchhiking on belongings from an infested place. They can hide in luggage, clothing, bedding, boxes and second-hand furniture. In buildings with adjoining homes, they can also move through cracks and wall spaces. Their presence does not mean that a home is dirty. (EPA: Preventing bed bugs; CDC: Bed bugs)

Check used beds, sofas and other furniture before bringing them indoors, and inspect luggage after staying somewhere with suspected bed bugs. Pay attention to seams, folds and joints where insects can hide. Reducing clutter makes hiding places easier to inspect, but cleaning alone does not rule out or resolve an infestation. (EPA: Preventing bed bugs)