• Uncategorized ,
• 14 May

By Josh Kattenberg

Knowing the living habits of bed bugs is essential for detecting and treating an infestation in its early stages. A property manager who knows where bed bugs hide can train employees to look for signs of an infestation, and can also educate tenants to detect early warning signs.

Because their food source is the blood of sleeping humans, bed bugs begin their infestation in the bedroom. They hide in cracks and crevices during the day, coming out only at night to feed. The places they are hiding during the day vary widely, requiring only that the place be tight-fitting and relatively dark.

They will take up residence in the bed itself, congregating around seams in the mattress and any other crevices in the bed or box spring. They gravitate towards wood and cloth, so it’s not unusual for them to live inside box springs. One of their favorite spots is behind a headboard attached to a wall.

Over time, they spread out from the bed. They like living in storage boxes or clutter under the bed. If there is cloth furniture like chairs or a couch in the bedroom, they will infest those. They will crawl behind wallpaper, into cracks in dressers, between seams in trim, and will even set up residence inside alarm clocks.

If the infestation is not detected at this point, the population will continue to grow, spreading throughout the entire house. Bed bugs will enjoy living in the seams of the living room couch. They will congregate behind baseboards and crawl into the clock in the kitchen. They will follow small gaps formed between pipes and drywall.

Knowing the living pattern of bed bugs can help for early detection in rental properties. Tenants can be educated on locations where bed bugs are likely to be found, and property management employees should be trained to check the common bed bug living areas during their scheduled inspections.