Bed Bugs in Shoes

You may be surprised to learn that bed bugs will actually make a home in any warm and dark space that they find. While they’re frequently found in and around beds, they can set up their home just about anywhere.

Clothing, furniture, electronics and even shoes can be the perfect location for them to reproduce and live. If you’re wondering how did bed bugs get in your shoes, it’s easy to pick them up just about anywhere. How you take care of the situation is the important part.

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Shoes

While bed bugs like warm locations to live in, they don’t like extreme heat. A bed bug will die at a temperature over 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on what your shoes are made out of, you may want to throw them in the dryer for a few minutes. If that’s not an option, placing them out in the sun can sometimes generate enough heat to kill the bed bugs or to get them to leave your shoes.

Remain Diligent

Bed bugs are extremely persistent. Until you’re absolutely sure that you’ve gotten rid of every bed bug in your shoes, you’ll want to stay on top of the situation. Leave your shoes outside for the time being. Bringing them inside can allow the bed bugs to travel to another area of your home. You could also be dropping their eggs into your home where they will then hatch.

What Attracts Bed Bugs to Shoes?

Bed bugs don’t like anything that’s currently moving, so you’re not likely to pick up a bed bug while you’re walking along. If they were inside of the shoe, the chances of you crushing them are pretty high. Bed bugs are going to infest your shoes while they’re not in use. If you have shoes in your bedroom closet that aren’t worn frequently, this is the perfect place for them to breed.

If someone else comes into your home with bed bugs on them, they could drop a bed bug in your foyer that will immediately go to hide in your shoes. Since most shoes have an insole that’s on the inside of the shoe, this provides a safe hiding place for the time being. Don’t forget to pull up the insole to check that space for bed bugs if you suspect there’s a problem.

Can Bed Bugs Live in Shoes?

You’re pretty safe if you have shoes on and you’re moving around, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find bed bugs in your shoes at home. If you’re concerned with bed bugs living in your shoes, there’s some things to watch out for.

• Bed bugs need to be near your bed or a source of food. If you have shoes near your bed, this will provide an additional hiding spot for them. They can feed on you while you sleep, and they can return to your shoes when they are finished. You won’t see signs of them in your bed or mattress, which will prevent you from finding the infestation right away.

• Shoes that are in a dark closet or under your bed are more likely to become infested. Try putting them away from your bedroom in a foyer closet or in the hallway where you enter the house.

• Shoes that are made from a soft material are more commonly infected with bed bugs. It provides a softer bed for them to live in.
  -Shoes that have a lot of crevices are more at risk. This includes sneakers with a tongue. A dress shoe might not be as inviting, especially if they are open toe.

You have a few different options if you have bed bugs in your shoes. If they’re shoes that are on their last leg anyway, you can place them in a bag and transfer them to the outside garbage can on your property. If you can use heat on the shoes, this will kill the bed bugs immediately.

Some shoes are even machine washable, which will surely kill the bed bugs through a combination of hot water and the water itself will drown them. PVC, cotton and polyurethane shoes will typically hold up well in the washing machine. Avoid putting leather or suede shoes in the laundry.