With just a little bit of research and time, you’ll quickly learn that
bed bugs are some of the most cryptic critters in the world. And, it seems that they only continue to get more and more cryptic as time goes on. These critters can hide right in plain sight and bit you when you least expect it, creating anxiety, red welts, and in the worst cases, allergic reactions. While these critters have never been reported for transmitting diseases, no one wants to let an intruder invade their home. The best way to prevent just this is by knowing where these critters hide when they inhabit the home.
Box Springs And Mattresses
This one is probably common sense for a lot of people. Given their name and their propensity to come out and feed at night, it only makes sense that
bed bugs would take up
residence in the bedroom. Amongst the bedroom, it is the mattresses and box springs that these critters will weave themselves into. It provides them with quick and easy access to their food source. Along with this, they also possess the uncanny ability to sense human body heat along with expelled CO2 and kairomones.
Cracks And Crevices In Bed Frames
Speaking of the bed, there are a lot of older bed frames replete with cracks and crevices. Whether these are by design or from wear and tear over the years, they provide the perfect hiding spaces for
bed bugs. Look at your headboards and footboards for cracks and crevices. Fill them in with wood putty or caulking if needed. It also won’t hurt to check the small spaces where the headboards and footboards connect to the side rails.
Bedding, Sheets, Linens
If
bed bugs are going to make themselves at home in your footboards and headboards, why wouldn’t they get into your sheeting as well? They would and they do. After all, they have to cross over when they come out to feed on you at night. The only good thing about this hiding space is, they are much easier to detect here. Just look for traces of feces, exoskeletons, and reddish-brown spots.
Rugs And Carpet
Rugs and Carpets might not seem like they’d provide much protection or
hiding. And, they don’t, but they provide just enough for bed bugs. Another thing about rugs and carpets is, they are usually installed in bedrooms, which means they’ll be located in the number one room of the home that these critters are most attracted to.
Couches And Upholstered Furniture
If you’ve been doing your research online, you’ve likely heard at least one or two stories about homeowners buying a piece of used furniture and inadvertently bringing bed bugs into their homes this way. It happens more often than anyone wants to admit and this is because there are thousands of hiding spots with a piece of furniture. Just like a bed, a bed bug can hide in the cover, the skirting, the armrests, the legs, cracks and crevices in the wood, along with tons of other spots.
Places You Might Not Expect To Find Bed Bugs
Some of the above-mentioned places are fairly common hiding spots for bed bugs. Just about ninety percent of homeowners would know to look in these locations for bed bugs. That being said, the real task is knowing those spots that are off the radar. The spots that no one would think to look at. Where are these locations?
Luggage And Suitcases
If you’ve been putting in research as of late, you’ve likely also heard of someone bringing home an infestation from a travel trip. Unfortunately, this is something that’s becoming more and more popular. Luggage pieces and suitcases would be some of the reasons for this. And, this is because they provide the perfect shelter for these troublesome critters.
Wall Decor
Who would ever imagine that their family photograph handing above their bed would house
bed bugs? Unfortunately, this could be the situation that you are looking at. Bed bugs are known for being attracted to dark, warm spaces and that’s exactly what some wall décor offer.
Books
You can read all you want about bed bugs, but you won’t find them jumping off the pages of your books. You will, however, find them in the spines of your books. With their minuscule bodies, bed bugs can squeeze into the spines of your books. These situations are even more common when books are stored in the bedroom or near furniture that you frequent often.
Nightstands
This one probably isn’t so surprising, but it still makes sense to stick it on the list. Given their dark and cluttered nature, the nightstand provides the perfect environment for your
local bed bug. What’s, even more, stressing about nightstands is, they provide thousands of little hiding spots.
Electronics
No one wants to hear that
bed bugs could have gotten into their new gaming computer that they just dropped a thousand dollars on. Unfortunately, this is the potential, especially if that gaming computer is stored in a bedroom with an infestation.
