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How bed bugs get into homes
Bed bugs are not a result of poor housekeeping. Anyone can have bed bugs. People bring bed bugs into their homes unknowingly in infested luggage, backpacks, purses, furniture, bedding, shoes or clothing. They can also travel between apartments through cracks in walls and floors.
Total release pesticide foggers or 'bug bombs' can force bed bugs into adjacent apartments. DO NOT USE: 'Bug Bombs'. They do not control bed bugs and using 'bug bombs' improperly can be dangerous and spreads pesticide throughout your home.
If you have bed bugs and live in a rental property, notify the property manager immediately. Do not use pesticides to treat for bed bugs yourself. "General use" pesticides are not effective against bed bugs and their use may cause the bed bugs to spread to adjacent units.
Where to look
Bed bugs can hide anywhere but usually close to where people sleep. Find bed bugs early by inspecting your bed and bedding each time you remove the sheets for washing. Check around the edge of the mattress and box springs, in seams and under buttons and tags. Remove the thin cover material on the underside of your box springs, a common hiding place, and look inside. If you have a headboard, footboard or bed frame, carefully inspect the corners, cracks and screw holes for bed bugs.
Bed bugs can hide in nearby bedroom furniture, baseboard heaters, window sills, curtains, nightstands and dressers. Remove the drawers and look inside in corners, in cracks, screw holes, and under each piece.
Use a flashlight
Using a flashlight and 10x magnifying glass can help to spot the small bugs in dark, tight areas.
- Check upholstered furniture, sofas, and recliners. Look under cushions and the skirt of upholstered furniture. Turn upholstered furniture upside down and carefully look at the underside for signs of bed bugs. Look behind pictures and wall hangings. Inspect curtains or other window coverings.
- Bed bugs can hide under carpet edges where carpets meet walls; if necessary, pull up the edge of wall-to-wall carpeting.
- Examine loose wallpaper, cracks in plaster and walls. Inspect window and door casings, moldings. Bed bugs may hide behind baseboards and wood trim moldings. It may be necessary to remove these moldings to find hidden bed bugs.
- Inspect throw rugs, electronics (TVs, radios, clocks, computers, CD players, DVD players) and especially clutter (books, papers, magazines, clothes).