WHERE DO BED BUGS HIDE?
NEWTOWN PA
Have you ever woken up in the morning to discover a mysterious line of red bumps on your skin?
You probably wondered how they got there. Then, you began to suspect that your home might be infested with bed bugs.
The idea is repellent, but inescapable. At the same time, you're puzzled. You've never seen bed bugs, so where are they hiding?
The unfortunate reality is that bed bugs are tiny. Even the smallest crack or crevice is large enough to conceal them. This not only makes it difficult to diagnose the problem but also makes treatment more complicated.
How can you kill something that you cannot see?
The best answer is to ask an exterminator to handle the job for you. With their skills and specialized equipment, they know precisely how to get rid of bed bugs for good.
Of course, it's also helpful to be informed. Here is a closer look at where bed bugs hide.
HOW DID YOU GET BED BUGS?
It is a disconcerting fact that bed bugs can be found practically anywhere. Typically associated with infestations in residences, the reality is that bed bugs also infest cars, buses, restaurants, clinics, hotels, offices, schools and just about anything else you can name.
Bed bugs are overachievers when it comes to hiding. Their small size definitely helps with this. Hiding in the seam of your jeans, the upholstery on a car seat or the luggage that you brought on your last vacation is easy for a bed bug. This is how they are able to get from place to place so that they can find somewhere new to live.
It's galling for people to learn that they probably brought home a bed bug infestation. Complicating the issue is the fact that bed bugs are so hard to get rid of.
Plus, chances are good that you haven't even seen a bed bug. Where are they hiding?
WHERE DO BED BUGS LIKE TO HIDE?
Bed bugs require a host from which to feed. In general, they prefer a human host, and this means that they like to be in places where people live and work. Bed bugs most frequently feed on people as they sleep, which is why it is so common to hear about bed bug infestations in homes and hotels.
Bed bugs do not want to travel far from their hiding place to their host. Accordingly, they will try to find good hiding spots that are close to or on the bed. If you suspect that you have a bed bug infestation, the first place to look is in the seams of the mattress, the headboard and footboard. The bed's frame and even the linens are other likely hiding spots. Each of these items has cracks, seams or tiny openings in which a bed bug easily could hide.
If a bed bug infestation is fairly large, portions of the bed bug population will look for somewhere to hide that's a bit farther away. A chair, nightstand or dresser offers plenty of options, and these pests might even sneak behind a baseboard or a light switch to conceal themselves.
If it is dark and sheltered, then it is probably a good place for a bed bug to hide.
WHERE DO BED BUGS HIDE ON YOUR BODY?
It's virtually impossible to stop your mind from wondering whether or not bed bugs might be hiding on your body when you first learn about an infestation.
The good news is that bed bugs typically do not hide on your body. However, they will definitely hide in your clothes or in the luggage, purses and other bags that you carry.
Bed bugs cannot live on the human body, nor do they particularly want to. After feeding on blood, the bed bug swells up to three times its unfed size. It may not be easy to spot an unfed bed bug somewhere on your body, but one that has had a recent meal would be impossible to ignore.
This means that bed bugs need to retreat to some quiet, secluded spot to digest after a meal. Hence, their need for good hiding places.
Sometimes, that hiding place is on your clothing. Any seams or folds will do. The bed bug hitches a ride with you until you reach home or another location that looks like good habitat. Then, a hiding place is found, and the pest looks for opportunities to feed on a likely host.
WHERE DO BED BUGS HIDE DURING THE DAY?
Bed bugs are not restrictive when it comes to choosing hiding places. They can squeeze into surprisingly small spaces, but they like to stay as close to a bed as they can. This means that infestations typically are concentrated in places where people sleep.
The mattress, bed frame and linens are the most likely places to find bed bugs. However, any bedroom furniture may be infested, and some bed bugs may hide inside lamps, remote controls, books, stuffed animals or clothing.
A crack in a wall, the back side of a piece of art that's hanging on a wall or a light fixture that is hanging from the ceiling all may conceal bed bugs.
Of course, they do not restrict themselves to one bedroom. Bed bugs may use wiring, plumbing or the door to move into other rooms in the house. This means that the infestation can spread to other bedrooms as well as the living room, den or home office.
WHERE DO BED BUGS HIDE IN MATTRESSES?
Mattresses provide a surprisingly large number of possible hiding places for bed bugs. The tags, piping and seams all are large enough to conceal bed bugs. If your bed has a boxspring, then the bed bugs may be hiding there as well.
Are there any holes or tears in the surface of your mattress? If so, then bed bugs may be lurking in these openings as well.
It's frightening to think that bed bugs may be sharing the space where you sleep, but you can take steps to protect yourself. One of the wisest of these is to encase your mattress and boxspring in special protective covers. These covers protect your mattress and boxspring from all sorts of damage and stains, but their most important role is keeping bed bugs out.
WHERE DO BED BUGS HIDE IN COUCHES?
Whether you have a couch in your bedroom, the living room, your office or elsewhere, it is possible for it to be infested with bed bugs. Just as with the mattress, the bed bugs may be hiding in the piping, seams or tags. Other likely places of concealment include between or behind the cushions and pillows.
If you do find evidence of bed bugs in your couch, be certain to check nearby items as well. Bed bugs easily can hide in draperies, rugs, carpets and any other furniture.
SIGNS OF A BED BUG INFESTATION
Now that you have ideas for where to look for bed bugs, it is important to know what signs you are looking for. Bed bug bites on your body are one certain sign, but you can verify the presence of these pests with other physical evidence.
For instance, you might see reddish or rusty stains on mattresses or bed linens. These marks are signs that bed bugs have been crushed.
Another giveaway of the presence of bed bugs are tiny dark spots on mattresses, bed linens and other surfaces. These marks are bed bug excrement, and their edges may show signs of bleeding just like a marker does when it is placed against paper.
Some people also find bed bug eggs and eggshells or the pale yellow skins that are shed by bed bug nymphs as they mature.
It also is possible that you will see live bed bugs hiding in various places around the room.
HOW DO YOU HANDLE A BED BUG INFESTATION?
Is it possible for the average property owner to treat a bed bug infestation? Usually, these efforts go wrong.
Because these pests are so good at hiding, it can be really hard for over-the-counter treatments to be applied where they need to be to do the most damage to the population. While the property owner sprays bug spray, the bed bugs stay cozy and content in their hiding spots, confident that the poison won't touch them. Even worse, products available to the general public can actually cause the bed bugs to spread to other areas of the structure.
This is why it is necessary to have a pest management professional handle the job.
Using specialized equipment and professional-grade products available only to licensed exterminators, a pest control service can successfully treat a bed bug infestation and provide any follow-up treatments that may be necessary to ensure that the population is completely eradicated.
ACT NOW TO GET RID OF BED BUGS
Delaying treatment only makes bed bug problems larger and more difficult to treat. Anyone who suspects that they have a bed bug infestation in their home, office or other structure is encouraged to contact a pest management professional as soon as possible.
Newtown Termite & Pest Control, Inc. is a certified pest control company that has been providing Newtown area homes and businesses with bed bug extermination for nearly 30 years.
Speak with a certified bed bug control professional who can answer all of your questions.
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