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Where do bed bugs live in nature?

I assume they've been around before humans and beds. Can you find them in the woods? Can you pick them up if you go camping?

I have not stayed in a motel or hotel since the resurgence of bed bugs hit the news. I'd consider camping, but then I thought, "what if they're in the woods?"
Contributed by BV706 on 7 August, 2011 - 1:58pm

The "natural habitat"
of the Common Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius) is now the human home.

Related species parasitize bats and birds, and may occasionally feed on humans. Bat Bugs, for instance, have been known to feed on people when they can't find their normal hosts (such as after a bat colony has been excluded from an attic)--but I doubt there's much of a chance of being bitten by one of the "wild" species on a camping trip.

Others may be able to tell you more. Welcome to BugGuide!
… Ken Wolgemuth, 7 August, 2011 - 2:52pm

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