Where bed bugs hide in the home — Arianna’s student essay

Where Bed Bugs Hide In The Home?

It is common as a child to hear someone say “Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite” but are you sure that bed bugs are only hiding in your bed? Bed Bugs did not randomly appear in your bed sheets or underneath your mattress, they had to have migrated from somewhere. We must be aware of where bed bugs hide in the home so that these pests can be effectively eliminated. In compliance with the NPMA’s 2011 Bed Bugs in America Survey, 

Most Americans are concerned about bed bugs and believe that infestations in the United States are increasing. Nearly 80 percent are most concerned about encountering bed bugs at hotels; 52 percent on public transportation; 49 percent in movie theaters; 44 percent in retail stores; 40 percent in medical facilities; 36 percent in their own homes; and 32 percent equally pointed to places of employment and friends’ homes. The fear of getting bitten topped the list of concerns.

It is stated by www.bedbugsupply.com that Bed bugs got their name by hiding close to where their food source (i.e. you or another unlucky fellow) is sleeping or resting. This means that you’re most likely to find bed bugs on or near your bed or other furniture that you frequently come in contact with. 

This tells us that bed Bugs are said to have gotten their name based on where their food sources are located. Since bed bugs feed on human blood, we are considered their sources of food. This means that bed bugs are most likely to be found in areas of our households where we usually are. 

This explains that each household would have different variations of bedbugs populations in relation to where the members of the household sleep and interact most often.

In accordance with Wikipedia, Bed bugs are insects from the genus Cimex that feed on human blood, usually at night. Their bites can result in several health impacts including skin rashes, psychological effects, and allergic symptoms. There is no one place that bed bugs can hide, they find themselves comfortable in various places throughout the home.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency outlines the most common places that bedbugs can be found. Firstly, bed bugs can be found in sections of the bed which are the mattress and box springs specifically. Bed bugs can secondly be found in drawers. 

Thirdly, bed bugs can be found at the place where both the wall and ceiling meet. Next, bed bugs can most commonly be found behind baseboards and under loose wallpaper. Another place bed bugs can be found is in the seams of chairs and couches. These are the most common places that bed bugs can be found. I also want to outline the unusual places where bed bugs can be found in the home. 

www.takecaretermite specifies unusual areas where bed bugs can be found throughout the home. These areas are: in books, in alarm clocks, in purses, handbags or suitcases, in or behind picture frames, in electrical outlets, and indoor hinges. Per www.pestworld.org, it is quite evident that bed bugs can be found in the most common and uncommon areas that we can think of. Bed bugs are very tiny in size with Adult bed bugs reaching a size of about 1/4 inch long, they can practically fit anywhere

The reason that these bugs can be found in so many different places throughout the home is as a result of their size as well as the ability to adjust to most living conditions. The United States Environmental Protection Agency also expresses a bed bug’s ability to survive in areas as low as 7°C (46°F). Common bed bugs can be found in almost any living condition that their host can survive. Specifically, bed bugs found in subtropical and tropical climates (Cimex hemipterus) are mostly subject to higher average temperatures than the common bed bug.

To conclude, there are many areas in which bed bugs can be found in the home. Knowing the many areas in which bed bugs can be found are quite beneficial to pest control so that they can successfully help us to keep our homes pest-free in both an eco-friendly and traditional way.

Author: Arianna Bastian

Benedict College

Student Scholarships

Every year Thrive Pest Control hosts an essay contest and the reward is a 1-year scholarship at a 4-year university in the United States. This blog post is one of those scholarships.