5 Unexpected Places Where Bed Bugs May Be Hiding In Your Home
While finding any bug in your home is incredibly unpleasant, none are as uniquely horrible as the bed bug. Bed bugs are notorious for nesting discreetly in your mattress, hence the name, leaving you with unexplainable itchy patches all over your body. They are also very difficult to get rid of, with Brody Brothers Pest Control noting that once they're in your home, they reproduce very quickly and rapidly become out of control.
A large part of treating bed bugs is being able to locate them since the small pests are very adept hiders. The main areas you should check include mattresses, couches, and other commonly used pieces of furniture. Since they like to munch on sleeping people, the bed is where they're most likely to hide. However, they can live almost anywhere in your home where they'll wait out the extermination process and repopulate. Knowing where to check for bed bugs is crucial in making sure they're gone for good.
1. Closet
One area bed bugs love to hide in is your closet. As Bed Bugs Insider points out, one of the main ways bed bugs infest your house is by latching onto your clothing during travel, where they will then nest in your closet when you get home. They also like the darkness associated with most closets, so if they don't originate in your closet, odds are they'll find their way there eventually — especially if you remove them from your mattress.
If you're a frequent traveler, keep your luggage away from the walls and off your bed, ideally keeping it on a metal luggage rack that the bugs can't access, per Orkin Canada. You can also wrap your clothing in plastic bags to try and keep the bugs out. Despite your best efforts, it's still possible they'll find a home in your closet.
To check your closet for bed bugs, start by removing everything you have stored in there and placing the items in tightly sealed plastic bags. Avoid wearing or using anything until you can guarantee it's bed bug free. Search for living and dead bugs, checking every corner and crease. If you spot even one, odds are there are plenty more hidden somewhere, in which case you should immediately contact an exterminator.
2. Outlets
Another unexpected place bed bugs will hide are in your power outlets. Per Cowleys Pest Services, bed bugs like tight, dark spaces, and they also don't like being found, which makes something as indiscreet as your power outlets a perfect hiding space. Not only is this incredibly annoying, but it can be dangerous if they lay eggs near your wiring.
You can check your power outlets for bed bugs by first removing all outlet covers, including your light switches. It's not a bad idea to soak them in hot water and soap to disinfect them at this point. Next, disconnect all power lines that channel into that outlet. Grab a vacuum with a handheld attachment and suck out all of the insects, disposing of them immediately and outside of the home so they don't spread further. Keep checking your outlets, as the bugs may be more hidden than you can see with the naked eye.
3. Books
Bookworms beware — there's a new bug in town. Bed bugs will try to hide anywhere dark and discreet, and, as Bed Bugs Insider points out, books provide lots of crevices and crannies for the bug to hide in. They also tend to be kept near your bed, which provides them easy access for a nighttime snack.
If you keep finding bed bugs and don't know where they're coming from, check your book collection. If you have hardback books with sleeve covers, remove the covers and check underneath. Also, check the gap in the spine and binding. Some experts recommend putting your books in a mild-tempered oven to kill the bugs, but this is a huge safety and health hazard. The same goes for putting the books in your microwave. Instead, put all your infected books in plastic sealed bags and remove them from your home. Next, contact an exterminator, who will have their own safe heat treatment to kill your infested belongings.
4. Floors and baseboards
When it comes to bed bugs, where there's a will there's a way. These persistent pests will hide anywhere they can, including small cracks in your floorboards. That's right — bed bugs can live in your wood floors, where they can rapidly reproduce while you're none the wiser, per Get Rid of All Things.
More than any other hiding spot, if you find bed bugs are hiding in the cracks of your floorboards or baseboards, it is time to call an exterminator. However, there are a few ways to prevent the bugs from finding their way under your floors in the first place. If you have older wood floors, take a look around and check for any cracks or gaps. Similarly, look for gaps in your baseboards — these are all ideal access points for bed bugs. Repair the cracks and fill the gaps, then spray with pesticides to discourage them from making a home in the wood.
5. Drawers
Last but not least, a spot that you may not expect bed bugs to hide are your drawers. Bed bugs will prefer drawers in your bedroom, like a wardrobe or dresser, but they're by no means picky. As How to Murder Pests points out, this could even be the primary infestation site if you bring home bed bug-infested clothing or other items.
If you even suspect there are bed bugs in your drawers, immediately remove everything and place it in vacuum-sealed bags. If there are bugs in these items, they won't be able to spread past the bags, but you should keep them out of your home for good measure. Next, vacuum out your drawers, disposing of any sucked-up bugs outside of your home. Call an exterminator, too, since they likely will have traveled outside of your drawers. In the meantime, spray some pesticide in your drawers.