Where to Look for Bedbugs
Everyone Wants to Know Where to Look for Bedbugs…
Like everyone else who doesn’t want them, you’ve probably wondered where to look for bedbugs. Whether in your home or somewhere else you may be, it’s an important question which we all want to see answered. If you wish to be on-guard against an infestation, you’ll need to know a few tricks for inspection. However, we recommend not getting too involved. You could make traveling a living nightmare for yourself, if you worry too much about it. While it’s good to know a few ways to check for bedbugs, it’s equally important to enjoy life.
The Goal of this Article
Our purpose in this blog is to help acquaint you with the different places you should be looking for bedbugs. In doing so, we hope you will have a better chance of finding them should they be present… wherever you are!
Additional Bedbug Information
Follow us on YouTube @FourSeasonsPestSolutions. There, you can find additional bedbug information in our videos. Additional articles are also available in our blog, under the category, “Bedbugs”. Our vlog can provide even further information where you can find some great videos on the topic. Additionally, local universities, agriculture departments and government sponsored facilities often have great online sources of information. You may want to check those out as well.
Possibly no insect strikes more fear in the minds of people than the bedbug. Knowing where to look for bedbugs can help alleviate that fear. Above, is an adult bedbug.
Bedbugs Like Dirty Homes, Right?
Whether or not you are a neat and tidy person has little to do with getting bedbugs. They don’t seem to mind either way. On the other hand, however, the neater and cleaner a home, the more likely you can find an infestation quickly and the less likely they will get out of control. But enough with the chit-chat! You came here because you want to know where to look for bedbugs! Let’s take a look…
Dirty and cluttered homes aren’t more susceptible to bedbugs. Instead, it is easier for infestations to go unnoticed. Bedbugs are no respecter of persons, however, once in a home, the cleaner and less cluttered, the lesser the chance of heavy infestation.
Focusing on the Bedroom
When you want to know where to look for bedbugs, there’s no better place to start than in the room from which they get their name; the BEDROOM! Maybe you’ve recently visited someone or somewhere and realized amid your stay that bedbugs were present. Now what do you do? Should you hire an exterminator? Maybe “bomb” the house? Or should you set it all on fire and start over (as many people often feel when they first find bedbugs)?
Maybe you’re staying somewhere and think you’ve been bitten. Do you raise a fuss and upset others? Well… let’s not go too far. No matter where you are, you can do a few quick things yourself before you get too upset. Remember, anxiety amplifies your problems, so, let’s not get anxious just yet. Instead, let’s take a little walk-through and check a few places out and see if we find anything!
In addition to the bedroom, you may apply these same skills to any other room. Whichever piece of furniture serves as the “bed” where someone sleeps is your focal point. Use that piece of furniture as if it was the bed and begin your inspection.
On the Mattress
First, let’s check out the mattress. It’s one of the easiest places to look for bedbugs. Around the seams, under the tags, at the corners or in tufts and folds of fabric, are great places to start. If you aren’t exactly sure what signs you are looking for, you can see our blog entitled, “What are the Signs of Bedbugs” HERE. You can also check out epa.gov where you will find helpful information.
Since it is important to miss nothing, be sure to look at every corner, every side, top, bottom and pay special attention if there are any rips, tears or holes. Bedbugs love to hide and they can hide in very tiny places. Imagine you are a bedbug. You want to stay unseen but also need to be near your food source. Where would you be?
Tufts, folds, seams, tags, corner protectors, loose fabric and even rope handle eyelets, provide key harborage for bedbugs, especially nymphs (adolescent bedbugs) and eggs.
On or In the Box Spring
The box spring is a great place to look for bedbugs. Like the mattress, it should be inspected on all sides. Unlike the mattress, however, most box springs (whether they have springs or not) have hollow insides. It is crucial to flip the box spring and make sure to check inside it. An entire infestation of bedbugs could live in the box spring and be seen nowhere else. It may even be necessary to remove the cloth-like film from the underside to do a good inspection. Don’t worry about replacing the film, the box spring won’t be harmed without it.
As with the mattress, look at every “nook and cranny” if you want to go that far. If you’re in a hotel or other over-night hospitality facility, maybe just give it a quick “once over’. If you’re at home, give it a good inspection and use a good flashlight. Then, if you find nothing, put it back on the bed frame and move on to the next piece.
Box springs aren’t generally expensive. Finding bedbugs on a box spring and nowhere else is sometimes as easy as simply tossing it.
On the Bed Frame
While you have the bed disassembled, take a good look at the frame work. Look closely at any point where connections are made or overlaps occur. Check the railing and the feet. Make sure you look in the cracks and crevices where bedbugs would actually be hiding. Once you are certain of your findings (or lack of findings) put it back together.
Bedframes, like this one, provide ample harborage for major infestations.
Behind or On the Headboard
Especially in commercial hospitality rooms, the headboards are often fastened to the wall. This creates the perfect “crack and crevice” environment bedbugs love to hide in. Removing and inspecting behind the headboard and all the cracks and crevices of the headboard is key in a bedbug inspection. If there is one spot where bedbugs can be found in a hotel, it’s behind the headboard!
At home, headboards aren’t usually secured to the wall. However, over time, they do eventually get pushed tighter to the wall. Subsequently, that area will be rarely accessed by humans. Because of this, bedbugs will harbor on the reverse side of residential headboards as well. Make sure to check that area well!
Headboards like this one, especially if secured or pushed tight against the wall, can be the single source of harborage in many cases.
On and In Furniture and Cabinets
What generally sits close to a bed?
- Night stands
- Dressers
- Quilt Chests
- Chest of Drawers
- End Tables
- Chair/Bench
- Other furniture
We like to use a general rule of thumb; if you can reach it from any portion of the bed, it is “attached” to the bed. While it may not actually be attached, it is within reach and bedbugs will use it for harborage. When these items are within arm’s reach of the bed, bedbugs may infest heavily. Pulling drawers, flipping the furniture and looking at every corner both inside and outside, will reveal any hidden bedbugs. It’s time consuming but will give the best results.
Spend More Time on Inspections at Your Own Home
At home, spending the extra time on these items is key. When traveling, give them a good quick look and enjoy your stay! Hopefully you have used good prevention techniques when staying anywhere but your own home. If so, you don’t need to worry so much about a bedbug or two!
Furniture in close proximity to the sleeping area should also be checked. This includes removing drawers and also checking the back and bottom of any furniture.
Floor-to-Wall and Wall-to-Ceiling
Your wall meets your floor and your ceiling as a corner. In those corners is a good place to find bedbugs, especially around and behind the bed. Additionally, baseboards and crown moldings may not be properly sealed to the wall, floor or ceiling. This can allow bedbugs to enter the cracks and be hidden beyond your reach… unless you remove the trim. Of course, that’s not something most want to do. Instead, in those hard to reach or inaccessible areas, look for signs!
Behind Wallboard, Wallpaper or Other Wallcoverings
You may not be able to access these areas but they are crucial harborage areas for bedbugs. These are areas where bedbugs will easily find their way and stay out of sight. Since these areas may require you to know the signs of bedbugs in order to do a proper inspection, it’s good for you to learn them. Otherwise, the option is to begin removing wall coverings. That’s an expense which need not be. Educate yourself on the signs and save yourself a little work and a lot of money!
Wallpaper edges, loose or torn wallpaper, wallboard strips, baseboard trim, corner trim and other crevice or crevice-like discrepancies on a wall will harbor bedbugs which have made their way into the home.
Draperies, Curtains and Curtain Rods
Bedbugs love to hide and these areas provide perfect hiding spots. We find bedbugs on curtains, in folds and seams. They will be found at the top, in the middle and at the bottom. You can find them in the curtain rod and around the curtain rod hangers. Again, knowing the signs of bedbugs is key here. Fecal deposits and eggs are most often found in these areas.
Around the Edge of Rugs
A common misconception is that bedbugs live in carpet. Consequently, many homeowners will rush out to buy over-the-counter products and then start spraying the carpets. While in extreme infestations bedbugs might incidentally be found wondering on carpet. On the other hand, the edge of rugs on hard floors is a great place to hide, especially behind the bed. Don’t worry about the surface of the rug, despite what you’ve heard. Concentrate on where the rug and floor meet at the edge of the rug. That’s where you’ll find bedbugs!
Bedbugs love crevices. Although they won’t infest carpets, they will gather around the edge of rugs where they meet another surface.
Electronics
- Televisions
- Radios
- Clocks
- Chargers
- Surge Protectors
- Lamps
- Smoke Alarms
- Phones
- Breathing machines
- Switches and Receptacles
These are common electronics found close to a bed. These are full of cracks, crevices and voids. If it’s close to your bed, it’s a hiding spot and a harborage area!
The clock in the center, plug receptacle just behind, the lamp (stand) and the phone (barely visible in the right corner) provide potential harborage for bedbugs.
Ceilings
Popcorn texture and other heavily textured ceilings can provide decent harborage. As a result, bedbugs can sometimes be found there. In heavy infestations, this is much more likely. However, even in lighter infestations where fogging or “bombing” has been performed, bedbugs may move to higher ground to avoid the product. Though these should be spotted easily, don’t discount the need to look up when doing your inspection!
Popcorn textured and other rough ceiling textures provide decent hiding for bedbugs.
Anything Else
There are thousands of scenarios, thousands of items and thousands of places where bedbugs can hide. Generally speaking, if it is in the bedroom or living room, it’s free game no matter what it is. Focusing in a little closer, if it’s within arm’s reach of an area like a bed or sofa, where someone regularly sleeps, it’s more than just free game, it’s HOME to a bedbug.
If you suspect that you may have bedbugs, it’s crucial that you know where to look for bedbugs. Though there is a server room somewhere with millions of gigabytes of information about bedbugs, this article will help you in your inspection. We have provided the chart below for easy use.
Conclusion
It’s no fun to find out you have bedbugs. Indeed, even less fun to keep them! As a result of this list, however, you now have an advantage over bedbugs! Henceforth, you can easily know where to look for bedbugs no matter where you decide to sleep! In fact, you could take these inspection principles and apply them to any room and do notably good inspection.
But with Four Seasons Pest Solutions on your side, you don’t even have to do an inspection! Some people prefer to leave this to the professionals. By all means, do your own inspection if you’re comfortable with the procedure and your abilities. Especially if you’re traveling! But at home, where it matters most, you need Four Seasons!
Whenever yo are faced with a bedbug infestation, look for our A.C.T Bedbug plan. It comes backed by a 100% guarantee. Then, the option to prolong your warranty out to 12 months and beyond with our Platinum Pest Prevention Plans, is also available. We’re your one-stop-shop for all things pest control!
Where to Find Bedbugs Quick List
- On the mattress
- On or In the Box Spring
- On the Bed Frame
- Behind or On the Headboard
- On and In Furniture and Cabinets
- Floor-to-Wall and Wall-to-Ceiling
- Behind Wallboard, Wallpaper or Other Wallcoverings
- Draperies, Curtains and Curtain Rods
- Around the Edge of Rugs
- Electronics
- Ceilings
- Anything Else
It’s okay to live among pests… but you don’t have to live with them!
Four Seasons Pest Solutions