Bed bugs hide in many surprising places. This makes it easy to bring them into the home and difficult to get rid of them.
1. Picture Frames
Most people have pictures or artwork hanging on their walls. The space between the frame and the wall, as well as the nooks and crevices in the picture itself, provide a hiding place for bed bugs. It's a short trip to make up the wall from the bed, and the spot can provide a dark, secure place during the day.
2. Headboards
Much like picture frames, headboards are another key hiding spot. They are even closer to the bed, typically attached, so it's a much shorter journey. Headboards are also pushed against walls, which will provide a route for the bed bugs to spread to other areas of the home. One way to minimize this is to pull headboards away from walls and place trap cups underneath the headboard's legs.
3. Bedside Books
If you like to read in bed, you may inadvertently be spreading bed bugs. Bed bugs can nest in the bindings of your favorite books. If you borrow books, you could even bring an infestation into your home this way. Laying books on the bed or stacking them on the floor next to the bed is the most common way the pests make their way into the pages.
4. Stuffed Animals
Many children have a favorite stuffed animal that goes with them everywhere. Unfortunately, that toy may become a bed bug vector. This is especially true if the child often takes the stuffed animal out of the house, such as to daycare or on overnight stays. A good workaround is to throw the stuffed animal in the dryer after each excursion outside of the home. The heat will kill any bed bugs.
5. Baseboards
Most baseboards have a space on the top or bottom edge, and sometimes in both locations. Bed bugs can easily squeeze into this space during the day when they are hiding from the light. Sealing the baseboards helps keep them out.
6. Purses and Bags
Purses, backpacks, and other types of bags and luggage are made to travel with you throughout the day. Unfortunately, if you take them somewhere with bed bugs, you may accidentally bring home an infestation. Worse, bags are usually transported to different rooms throughout the house, which means you can spread pests to every nook and cranny of your home quite quickly.
Contact a bed bug exterminator if you suspect the pests have made their way into your home.
I have never been one of those people who is alright with bugs running through their house, which is probably why I started focusing on pest control in the first place. I wanted to make sure that nothing would get in the way of me enjoying time with my family, so I began snapping pictures of the bugs in my house and then talking with professionals about how to resolve the problem. Within a few weeks I had an expert spraying for pests, and I was really impressed with just how effective they were. Check out this site for great tips on killing bugs.