5 Unusual Places Where Bed Bug Hides In Your Home

The first thought that might come to your mind when you hear about bed bugs is that it is supposed to be found on your mattress, right? Wrong. You’ve probably heard of bed bugs living in mattresses, but there are other surprising places where bed bugs have made a home for themselves. But it doesn’t end with mattresses.

Unusual Places where Bed Bug Hides

Here we share with you some of the places where bed bugs hide so that you can kill them before they bite. Let’s dig down the rabbit hole and travel to the 5 unusual places where bed bugs hide.

#1 Plush Toys

You might not expect plush toys to be hiding spots for bed bugs; however, these stuffed animals are often made from synthetic materials that are similar to those found in mattresses and pillows. They also provide a warm place for these pests to thrive.

Before you pick up that teddy bear from the store shelf, check it for signs of bed bugs. Their eggs are hard to see with the naked eye, but you may find adult bed bugs or their shed skins. If so, move on to the next toy!

#2 Book Shelves

There is no surprise that bed bugs are attracted to warm places, and a bookshelf is a perfect place for them to hide and lay their eggs.

Bed bugs like to travel with humans, and they often hide between the pages of books or magazines. They can live there for many months without food. The warmth of your home makes it a suitable environment for them to survive.

If you have a bookshelf, you will want to check it carefully for any signs of an infestation and look on the wall behind the books to ensure there is no more hiding. You can use a flashlight to check behind your books as well.

#3 Curtains

Bed bugs love to hide in curtains, drapes, and blinds, especially if they’re made of natural materials like cotton or linen. Because these fabrics have a looser weave than synthetic materials, such as polyester, more space is available for the insects to burrow and hide.

If you have noticed signs of a bed bug infestation, such as bites or blood spots on your sheets, then check your curtains for signs of bed bugs. You may notice shed skins, droppings, larvae, and adults crawling around on your curtains if they are infested with bed bugs.

If this is the case, consider washing your curtains in hot water and drying them at a high temperature to kill any adults and larvae that may be hiding there.

#4 Fluorescent Lights

This is one of the more unusual places where bed bugs hide, but it’s also a common hiding place. Bed bugs can fit into the seams of your fluorescent light, and they can stay there for days until they find a new host.

Fluorescent lights are hazardous because many people don’t think to check them when looking for bed bugs. If you have noticed bed bug activity around fluorescent lamps, it is essential to get treatment right away.

You would need a professional for bed bug pest control who will be able to determine if your bed bug problem is connected to your lights and suggest a course of action for getting rid of them.

#5 Dressers and Closets

Bed bugs can hide in your dresser drawers and clothes. They are looking for somewhere dark where no one will disturb them until it is time to feed. If you have had an infestation in your home, inspect the dressers in the bedroom.

If you find bed bugs on the clothes, you may need to throw some of them out or wash them. When drying clothes, use a high heat setting to kill any bugs.

How to Check for Bed Bugs?

The most common sign of a bed bug infestation is the presence of live bugs or their droppings on your mattress or box spring. If black spots appear on your sheets or pillowcase, there is a good chance that they are fecal matter left behind by these creatures as they feed at night while you sleep.

Sometimes when being bitten by bedbugs, people also notice small red bumps on their skin which may contain blood from where they were bitten.

Check your mattress and headboard for signs of bed bugs. If you notice minor rust-colored stains on sheets or mattresses (bed bug excrement), tiny red bites on the skin, or dark spots that look like blood stains or crushed insects, it may mean that bed bugs have infested the area.

Check behind baseboards and inside cracks where bed bugs could be hiding. Pay close attention to the seams of mattresses and box springs. It may take a couple of searches to find all of the areas where bed bugs are hiding out in your home.

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs?

If you suspect that you have a bed bug infestation in your home, you must take immediate action to get rid of these pests before they spread any further.

• If possible, try not to bring any new furniture into your home until it has been inspected for bed bugs. This will help ensure no more hiding places for these pests.
• You can use Desiccants (diatomaceous earth and silica aerogel). These work by removing the waxy outer coating of the bed bug, which causes them to dehydrate.
• Pyrethrins plus piperonyl butoxide are also very useful as these are made from chrysanthemums and attack the nervous systems of insects. Piperonyl butoxide increases the effectiveness of pyrethrins.
• Neem oil is a natural insecticide from the Neem tree, native to India, that acts as an insecticide, repellent, and antifeedant. It works by disrupting growth and digestion.

Bottom Line

If you’ve successfully eradicated an infestation, a professional also recommended that you keep items like drawers, blankets, and box springs encased in airtight plastic for around 6 months to ensure any eggs are killed and that they can’t hatch into biting adults. But make sure that everything is completely dry before sealing!