Bed bugs are associated with beds because they survive by hiding in dark, covered hiding spots near food sources. They frequently nestle themselves in among mattress seams, ridges, folds, zippers, and other crevices. They also frequently hide on bed frames, furniture such as headboards or nightstands, and even electrical outlets.

Bed bugs are very good at staying hidden, but they’re also rather predictable. They don’t like to travel very far from their food sources, so they depend on hiding places near those food sources. If you have an infestation, then they’re probably hiding either in your bed or at least in your bedroom. Here’s where to find bed bugs in each of their most likely hideaways:

In the mattress

Bed bug’s flat bodies help them squeeze into any opening about the width of a credit card. Unfortunately, this means bed bugs could potentially live on your bed without your knowing… at least, until they bite you. Here’s how to find even the most cleverly-hidden bed bug on your bed:

• Seams: Pull back seams and use a flashlight to look for signs. 
• Zipper: Check both the bed’s zippers and any covers or sheets that may have zippers.
• Creases and folds: Even small, miscellaneous creases such as the sewn-in folds of the mattress could harbor bed bugs.
• Pillows and pillowcases: Check the zippers, seams, and cases thoroughly and wash them frequently.
• Underside: Remember to flip the mattress and check both sides.
• Box spring: Bed bugs can live anywhere inside your mattresses’ box spring, especially if there are any holes or tears in its underside. 
• Fitted sheets: Strip the sheets and check both sides, including the corners and creases.

Near the mattress

Despite their affinity for living as close to food as possible, bed bugs needn’t hide in your bed. In fact, they’ll hide in dark, cramped crevices near your bed just as frequently. They simply wait to crawl up to you until you’re sleeping. Here are their most likely nearby hideouts:

• Headboard: Take your headboard off the wall and check behind and under it. Make sure you check inside its cover, too.
• Nightstands: Check any cracks, crevices, or small surfaces the bugs could cling to on any furniture, including your nightstand.
• Bed frame: After checking both sides of the mattress, pull it away to check the inside and outside of the frame itself.
• Dust ruffle: Wash your dust ruffle from time to time and check both sides for bugs.
• Electrical outlets: Yes, bed bugs can squeeze behind outlet panels. Take them off to check for signs.
• Wallpaper: Bed bugs love to sneak under peeling wallpaper. If your wallpaper is damaged, check and replace it ASAP.
• Stuffed animals: We realize this is bad news. If the stitching or seams of a stuffed animal are loose at all, bed bugs could use it as a particularly insidious hiding place.

In the bedroom

Though most bed bugs are found close to your bed, they could live anywhere as long as they have a consistent food source nearby. Though bed bugs rarely venture throughout a home, pretty much anywhere in your bedroom is fair game. Including each of these hiding places:

• Stuffed furniture: Any furniture bed bugs can crawl inside of, they will. Check seams, zippers, cushions, and any other openings. Don’t forget the undersides, either.
• Bookcases: Bed bugs can hide between, under, or sometimes even in books themselves, as well as on shelves. 
• Wall hangings: Bed bugs may squeeze behind or even within hanging frames and other wall art.
• Stuffed animals: We realize this is bad news. If the stitching or seams of a stuffed animal are loose at all, bed bugs could use it as a particularly insidious hiding place.
• Loose clothing: Bed bugs occasionally hide in clothing, especially if you leave it in your closet for long periods of time.
• Closet: Speaking of your closet, check anything you keep uncovered inside of it, especially any boxes or bags you keep on the floor. 
• Wardrobes, cabinets, or chests: Bed bugs may squeeze through drawers or into the underside of virtually any furniture around your bedroom.
• Carpeting or hardwood: If all else fails, bed bugs may even squeeze into cracks in your wood paneling or hide under any damaged carpeting. 

In Your luggage

Bed bugs spread by traveling with you. To prevent them, pay special attention to anything you transport into and out of your home. That counts double for anything you bring to multiple locations where you spend time or (especially) sleep. These are the most common materials bed bugs turn into their own personal Trojan Horses:

• Luggage: This is a big one. Bed bugs love to hide in luggage boxes and bags and accompany you home. Thoroughly check and run bags in a dryer upon returning home.
• Clothing: Especially loose laundry. Run all clothes (including the ones you’re wearing) through the washer and dryer as soon as you get home from traveling. 
• Shoes: Including the ones you’re wearing! Run shoes through the dryer, too.
• Cardboard boxes: Cardboard is full of nooks and crannies bed bugs can squeeze into and out of. Be very careful about the boxes you bring into your home from outside.
• Thrift store goods: Especially furniture, antiques, and clothing. 
• Electronics: Including televisions, appliances, and computers.
• Grocery bags: Usually on the bags themselves, though they could be inside containers such as cereal boxes.

If you suspect you might have bed bugs, check as many of the locations we listed as possible. If you find signs of bed bugs anywhere, you can probably assume the worst. Remember: you never have “just” one bed bug.

Whether you find signs or the bugs themselves, however, the next step is obvious: call the pros. Bed bugs are hard to wipe out on your own, but we can do it quickly, reliably, and completely. Just give Griffin a call as soon as you discover your bed bug problem. We’ll provide your solution–no ifs, ants, or bugs!

Bed bug bites are small, circular red marks or welts on the skin. They usually itch and may swell up. The nocturnal bloodsuckers usually bite in lines or zigzag patterns around areas of the body that are exposed while sleeping such as the face, neck, shoulders, hands, armpits, or ankles.

It can be tough to tell bed bug bites apart from other insect bites. There’s no one surefire way to deduce if your red mark is a bed bug bite or some other skin irritation… especially since bed bug bites look different from person-to-person. There are, however, several telltale characteristics of bed bug bites like those described above. The trick to figuring out if you’re looking at a bed bug bite is to look for several of the following characteristics at once:

1. Visible lines of bites

Insects obviously tend to bite the areas they have easy access to when they’re feeding. Mosquitoes bite your lower arms, legs, and neck because that’s what they can usually get to while you’re outside. Bed bugs are no exception. As explained above, these bloodsuckers prey on the parts of your body that are exposed while you’re sleeping. For most people, this may include your armpits, upper arms, neck, shoulders, hands, or even face.

Because of how they have to feed, bed bugs tend to leave tight, grouped clusters or lines of bites on the areas of the body they prey upon. Unlike mosquitoes, bed bugs feed in only one spot until engorged. They have to feed on this spot continuously for 3 to 10 minutes. If you interrupt them (by rolling, adjusting your covers, etc.) at any time during their feeding, they’ll break off and attempt to return to a nearby spot later. Bed bugs also tend to feed three times a night, so lines of bed bug bites are sometimes called “breakfast, lunch, and dinner” signs.

2. Several bites at once

Unfortunately, you never suffer only one bed bug bite. If you’re ever bitten by a bed bug, it’s because you either have an infestation or slept in a place with an infestation. Infestations are always dozens or even hundreds of bed bugs… and they all feed at once. They all also feed up to three times a night. Consequently, if bed bugs find you for even one night, they’ll bite you quite a few times.

The symptoms of bed bug bites may take up to two weeks to appear, but they’ll probably start appearing all at once. Look for several bite marks, rashes, or irritated areas around likely spots. Remember: if you have one bite, then it probably isn’t a bed bug bite. Unfortunately, as infestations grow, the number of bites you sustain will, too. You’ll probably notice several bites in key areas of your body at first, and then many more bites in those areas as time goes on.

3. Uniformly red, hard bite marks

Unlike flea bites, bed bugs bites do not have a clear central location where the bite originated. They usually don’t develop any ring-like, circular rash, either. Instead, bed bug bites tend to look and feel more similar to mosquito bites. They are small, usually circular, bright red (especially when inflamed), and itchy welts. These welts may take several days to swell up but will usually grow over time. They may also scab over or bleed if you scratch them enough.

Unlike mosquito bites, bed bug bites rarely become “puffy,” though they may feel tender. Instead, they tend to become hard, even as they inflame. If you’re particularly sensitive to bed bug bites or allergic, your bites may appear liquid-filled. Bed bug bites also tend to last longer than mosquito bites. Your bites could last several weeks after the initial bite. They’re also somewhat more likely to scar than mosquito bites, especially if you itch them.

4. Targeted areas

As mentioned above, bed bugs feed on specific parts of the body in straight lines or zig zags. They also work their way from site-to-site in order to find the best places to feed. This behavior means, unlike other pests, bed bugs don’t bite randomly. Instead, you should be able to notice patterns in their biting behavior, especially after a protracted infestation. Look for zigzagging or clusters of bites moving from area-to-area of your body.

To complicate matters, bed bugs don’t necessarily feed every night. After engorging themselves, bed bugs typically digest and molt for several days. Depending on how synchronized your infestation’s feeding rituals are, that means your bugs could feed on you severely one night and not much another. In other words, don’t be surprised if your symptoms tend to wax and wane slightly over the course of weeks or months. Remember: bed bug infestations never go away on their own. If bed bugs feed on you now, they’ll keep feeding until you do something about them.

Insect Bite Disclaimer

Insect bites of all kinds (including bed bug bites) are notoriously difficult to decisively identify without an actual insect sample. No matter how positive you are that you’ve got bed bug bites, the only way to know for sure is to find the bugs themselves. Consider these bed bug bite identification steps a helpful first step, but not a complete response.

If you think you have bed bugs, we always recommend conducting a professional inspection. Griffin’s experts use highly-trained canines to thoroughly inspect the infested site and collect samples. We’ll be able to tell you if you have bed bugs for sure, and figure out the best way to wipe them out.

When it comes to bed bug bites, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Infestations never go away and only worsen over time as they grow and expand. If you think bed bugs are biting you, do something about it right away: call Griffin Pest Solutions.

Griffin’s bed bug experts specialize in finding, diagnosing, and eliminating bed bug infestations of all sizes. No matter your infestation, we have the tools and expertise required to find and fix it right. If you think you’ve been bitten, now’s the time to call. We’re ready to help make sure the bed bugs can’t bite anymore.