Do you know where bed bugs hide in your house? This guide discusses the various hiding spots in different parts of your home and apartment.
When you have a bed bug infestation, several questions naturally come up. Paramount among these questions is where they hide the most. This is very important since these bugs are quite evasive and nocturnal.
You are likely reading this because you have the same or similar questions.
We welcome you to read on as we discuss some basic facts regarding the hiding habits of bed bugs.
BED BUG HABITATS: WHERE ARE THEY FOUND?
We all know bed bugs will hide in just about any place they consider conducive. Examples of such places include the human body, clothes, couches, and bags. Bed bugs are also likely to lay in wait in hotel rooms, luggage, carpets, and rugs.
So, can bed bugs be found anywhere else? Of course! Bed bugs can also hide in other locations like cars and empty houses.
We will also reveal where bed bugs hide during the day and night. These cover all bed bug hiding spots and will form the basis of our talking points.
You can’t wait? Let’s jump right in!
Can you see bed bugs with the human eye? Yes. Adults are generally between 3-7 mm long; tan, brown or red, flattened, and oval. These features enable them to be detected with naked eyes.
Where Do Bed Bugs Hide on Your Body?
Bed bugs feed on blood. As such, a suitable host will need to be found. Humans are their main targets and bed bugs won’t hesitate to dig in when the opportunity presents itself.
Although these bugs feed on your blood, they won’t hide in your body. The part of your body that comes to mind when talking about hiding in your hair.
Unlike lice, ticks, or fleas, bed bugs won’t hide in your hair or parts of your body. They’d rather nest somewhere more discrete and only come out to feed at night when you’re resting or sleeping.
FACT: Bed Bug Eggs In Your Hair
When bed bugs do hide on your body (it happens a few times), they only do so when moving from place to place. This they do frequently until they discover a more suitable hiding spot on arrival.
Bed bugs also prefer a cooler environment. This is one condition that is absent from the human body. These bugs will only come around to feed on your bare body and go back to their hiding spots.
These hiding spots aren’t far away from where they feed.
More bed bug hiding spots will be discussed further as you read on.
Bed Bugs and Clothing
Bed bugs hiding in clothing are no news at all. In other words, these bugs have been known to cling to clothing for ages. However, this isn’t for the long term. Bed bugs will only hang on to your clothing until they discover suitable hiding spots. This is usually close to their feeding source which is unfortunately yourself.
Cracks and crevices provide the ideal cover for them.
It doesn’t matter how long bed bugs last on your clothes. The problem lies in bites you’d experience. Yes! Bed bugs won’t be so patient to reach a more conducive destination before they feed.
As long as you wear infested clothing, they will be tempted to feed. This can be very uncomfortable as you will hardly figure out where the bites are coming from.
Bed bug bites create an itchy feeling which can lead to skin irritations. This is even more frustrating when you look hard enough at your clothing but can’t see anything. These bugs are good at being elusive.
Nevertheless, you can see and pick up a few of them sometimes.
Bed Bugs Hiding in Couches
Bed bugs won’t stay too far from a host. This is why couches are among their favorite nesting spots. These bugs will hide in couches and furniture due to the static nature of the host when he/she sits down to rest. In other words, bed bugs prefer feeding on a host when the host isn’t moving but stationary.
Being one of the most notorious areas bed bugs like to hide, you will need to inspect your couch(es) whenever you start experiencing itchy feelings when sitting. It doesn’t matter if your couch is made from fabric or leather material. Bed bugs will thrive in either of them.
Your Bags Could be a Nice Spot to Hide
Bags are essential requirements for packing. While its benefits are enormous, it could turn into a hideout for bed bugs. So, how do you know you know your luggage is infested? Well, you don’t need to be told.
Bed bugs announce their presence through their bites, but how did they get into your luggage in the first place? This could happen in several ways. However, the most common occurrence is when you travel.
You are likely to stay in a hotel room or lodge. Whatever the case is, such rooms or environments may have an infestation. This will likely get into your belongings for a trip back home. If you are lucky to identify this problem early enough, then you could avoid bringing bed bugs home unknowingly.
The best way to prevent bed bugs from hiking a ride in your baggage is by inspecting your new surroundings. This helps ascertain if such a place is safe enough to stay in.
When you suspect bed bugs in your luggage, there are effective ways to handle the problem. One of these includes the use of vacuum storage backs.
Bed Bugs in Hotel Rooms
A lot of hotel rooms are bed bug-infested. This may sound frightening but it’s true. Hotels witness a lot of activities. This involves people checking in and out. Such locations offer a perfect condition for bed bugs to thrive.
Bed bugs always want to stay close to their hosts. As such, hotels are ideal locations that make that possible.
To make matters worse, bed bugs can stay for extended periods without feeding. It is even impossible that hotels will have no customers coming in.
So, there’s always a host to feed on. Just like in homes, bed bugs will hide on hotel couches, beds, and furniture. These bugs can also fit themselves conveniently into tight spaces and cracks.
Hence, the need to be wary when deciding to book a hotel room.
Before you make that trip, try searching for an online database of hotel rooms having bed bug issues. This helps you avoid the mistake of booking such rooms.
Bed Bugs Hiding in Luggage
Bed bugs love clutter a lot. This provides them with ample hiding spaces. What more? This situation (clutter) only helps worsen an existing infestation.
Luggage covers anything from bags, clothing, furniture, etc. Try to tidy your surroundings. Your clothes and other possessions shouldn’t be scattered on the floor.
The worst place to scatter your belongings are hotel rooms. You never know if your hotel room harbors these pesky bugs. So, get your things off the floor and arrange them neatly into your bag.
If you notice bites within the duration of your stay, then you’d need to look for ways to tackle the problem when you get home. This helps avoid bringing the problem home.
Could Bed Bugs Be Hiding on Your Carpets?
If you suspect bed bugs to be on your carpets, then you shouldn’t limit them to this area alone.
In other words, these pests would have spread to other areas of your home. So, a multi-dimensional approach will need to be taken. You will first need to know if these bugs are in on your carpets.
This is done through a bed bug inspection.
Carpets aren’t the ideal hiding spots for these bugs. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t conclude they aren’t around. This will call for an inspection. Carpets provide the ideal conditions for bed bugs to lay their eggs, but not when you vacuum frequently.
Frequently vacuum your carpets to remove bed bug eggs, but first, you’ll need to use a torch to inspect this area before deciding on what step to take next.
Bed Bugs Hiding in Rugs
As with carpets, bed bugs won’t hesitate to use your rug as a hiding spot.
You will need to carry out a thorough inspection to determine if they are using your carpet for cover. We advise you don’t sweep or wipe the carpet over as this will only succeed in spreading their eggs.
Heat treatment is one of the ways to get bed bugs and their eggs off your rug.
Where do Bed Bugs Go During the Day?
Bed bugs are the least active during the day. Within this time, they will be in their hiding spots waiting for their feeding time to come out.
However, this doesn’t mean bed bugs won’t bite when they can.
Do Bed Bug Hide at Night?
There’s no need to. This is their most active time and will come out in full force to feed. These bugs are attracted to carbon dioxide which is produced by humans.
Bed Bugs Hiding in Empty Houses
Prior occupants of a house may have had a bed bug problem. These people may have left the problem untreated and moved out. The problem is, bed bugs can be quite resilient and will remain alive for quite a long time.
Don’t be surprised to discover that you have a bed bug problem in no time.
Bed Bugs Hiding in Cars
Your car is an extension of your home (sort of). In other words, you are likely to have the same pest issues you have at home in your car(s).
Cars have so many tight spots that can be used as hiding spots. Therefore, when treating your home for bed bug issues, you will need to extend this to your car as well.
We have seen the many places where bed bugs hide. The success of your treatment depends on uncovering these locations and flushing or exterminating them.
The type of treatment you choose will depend on the environment it is applied to.