Step-by-Step Guide for How to Check for Bed Bugs

Bed Bugs can be difficult to find, but you’ll probably already know that you have an infestation. Finding their hiding places is a huge part of treating the infestation because they can hide in many more places than your mattress. Here’s how to find bed bugs and ensure they don’t come back.

Check Common Hiding Spots

You already know that they hide in your mattress, so that’s the first place to look for your bed bug inspection. Dark spots or the presence of the bugs themselves can indicate a bed bug infestation. Take a flashlight and a scraper tool – even the edge of a credit card will work – and carefully go along the mattress on the top and underside.

They’re attracted to warmth, so they often occupy places that can offer that kind of environment. You should also look in your soft furniture, down in the cushions, and turn over to inspect the bottom of the furniture. The fabric on the underside of your furniture can harbor lots of insects for a long time without going noticed.

If you have carpet, it can also hide bed bugs. They’ll often hide along the seams of the wall where the carpet meets the molding. If you peel back your carpet, you may find their hiding places ready to jump out when you’re sleeping.

You can also look in hard furniture, such as drawers or even in your bed frame. As we lay idle sleeping our lounging, those areas also harbor potential infestations.

Check Lesser Known Hiding Places

Any piece of fabric in your house is a potential hiding place. Those drapes that touch the floor? They could harbor bed bugs. The corners of any furniture? It can also help hide bed bugs until they’re ready to crawl out and feed.

You can also take off outlet covers to find hiding places. If you have any loose molding, they can crawl behind those things to hide. Check underneath lamps and shades because of the warmth and the proximity to furniture where humans like to stay. Check your pet’s common areas as well.

Inspect Electronics

Even less commonly known is how electronics can harbor bed bugs. The warmth of electronics combined with small holes and hiding places can also harbor bed bugs. If you’ve got an infestation, you may end up missing some hiding places right in front of you.

Check your alarm clocks and electronics, especially those in your bedroom. Ensuring that you’ve checked each spot in your room can help ensure that you’ve uncovered all potential hiding spots for bed bugs.

Check Anything Coming Into Your Home

Some of the most common ways that bed bugs come into your space is from other areas. Travelers sometimes catch bed bugs from hotels or even public transportation when they jump onto suitcases and ride home. Other common entry points are when used furniture, clothing, even electronics houses bed bugs, and makes its way into your house.

If you travel, it’s helpful to inspect your luggage right away to find evidence of bed bugs before they have a chance to disembark into your home. If you decide to bring furniture into your home from another place, you’ll want to inspect it and disinfect it before it stays in your place for too long.

All textiles and materials should be washed on the hottest water possible and dried on high heat to help kill any potential stragglers. The more prevention you can do to keep them out will help ensure you never have a problem to deal with.

Keeping Bed Bugs Out of Your Home

It’s always going to be easier to prevent them from coming in than it will be to get rid of them. Checking for bed bugs regularly can help you get out ahead of any issues, and ensuring that you vet thoroughly any used products that come into your home will also help.

If you aren’t sure what to do once you have bed bugs, a professional can quickly assess any potential hiding spots and set you up with a bed bug treatment to ensure they don’t come back. Professionals are very familiar with where they hide and can often scope out hiding places that you’ve missed just to ensure that everything is covered. They know how to get rid of bed bugs efficiently.

Bed Bug Inspections

In fact, consistent bed bug inspections can help you prevent major infestations. bed bugs aren’t always a sign of improper hygiene or dirty conditions. They can come into your home from just about anywhere. There’s no need to stop enjoying your travels or swear off thrifting. Just take the right amount of precautions, and you’re probably covered.

Once you discover your infestation, you can take a course of treatment starting with finding their hiding places and getting started with treatment plans. Call a professional to help you, and you can get your home back.