Where to search for bed bugs

Kim Kelley-Tunis, ACE, BCE, PCQI

Bed bugs can be a difficult pest to control because of their cryptic nature. These elusive insects exploit tight cracks and crevices to hide during the day, emerging at night in search of a bloodmeal from a nearby host. Pinpointing all the areas that are frequented by your customers is not just an important step for finding the pests, but also a critical component in determining the best treatment options. A successful control program begins with a thorough inspection and thoughtful conversation with your customers to identify the infestation source(s).

So, where does one begin when searching out these pests? As their name implies, bed bugs are often found hiding behind baseboards, on bed frames or along the seams of mattresses and box springs, biding their time until they can feed on their unsuspecting food source under the cover of darkness. However, bed bugs are not always restricted to the bedroom of a home. They can be found in any area of a residential or commercial structure that is frequented by a potential host.

In some cases, treating the home is only half the battle as the infestation may be originating from outside the home. The customer’s workplace, transportation vehicle, or even a recreational facility they visit could all be an issue. An incomplete inspection of an account can result in a treatment failure and continued problems for them, so be thorough and take the opportunity to communicate with and educate customers on the behaviors of these evasive creatures.