You’ve noticed blood stains on your pillowcase when you wake in the mornings. The walls around your bed have weird markings. Your skin is itchy, and you don’t know why.

You might have bed bugs in your home, even if you haven’t spotted them yet. Luckily, learning how to make bed bugs come out of hiding is easier than you may think. Whether you’re home or checking in for a hotel stay, we’ve got you covered.

Here you will learn:

  • How to draw out bed bugs
  • What the perfect environment for bed bugs is
  • How to check your hotel room for bed bugs
  • And more

Table of Contents

 

how do you draw bed bugs out of hiding

 

Can You Trick Bed Bugs Into Coming Out?

Yes, you can! 

Bed bugs feed on the blood of warm-blooded mammals — their number one preference is humans. They often attack in the nighttime while human hosts are sleeping, producing warm carbon dioxide with their breaths, attracting bed bugs right to them. To create a similar environment, you can use a hairdryer to heat your bed and trick bed bugs out of hiding for a meal.

But trickery isn’t always the best way to draw out bed bugs. You might find that…

  • Traps
  • Pesticides; or
  • Trying to spot them

… is an easier solution. 

If you suspect you have a bed bug issue, it’s best to call the professionals. Pure Environmental specializes in inspecting for bed bugs and can take care of your infestation right away. Contact us today for help.

 

how to make bed bugs come out of hiding

 

First, Know Where Bed Bugs Like To Hide

To learn how to draw out bed bugs, you first need to know where they might be hiding. And the most obvious (and disturbing) answer is… well, your bed. They likely aren’t just sitting on top of your sheets waiting for you to hop in — although it is possible — they’re often found in cracks and crevices of your:

  • Mattress
  • Box spring; or
  • Headboard

Check along seams and zippers, behind your headboard, and underneath and in the corners of your box spring.

You’re likely to find bed bugs in other places that become warm with body heat like:

  • Couches or chairs
  • Untouched laundry or clothes; or 
  • Your shoes

And maybe the most surprising, bed bugs are in your luggage and backpacks. The little hitchhikers tend to latch onto your clothes, get packed into your suitcase, and make the journey home with you after your trip. To ensure you’re not bringing bed bugs into your house, thoroughly clean your luggage and clothes each time you return from out of town.

 

how do you get bed bugs out of hiding

 

What Brings Bed Bugs Out of Hiding?

We mentioned that creating a heated environment nearby your bed — or any place you might suspect bed bugs — could bring them out for you to see, but attempting to trick them doesn’t have to be your only solution. 

So, how do you get bed bugs out of hiding? There are proven methods that can work. And when all else fails, call the professionals. You’re going to want us there, either way.

Pure Environmental not only works to bring bed bugs out of hiding, but we can help to eliminate your bed bug issue altogether. By using a heat treatment, we can wipe out bed bugs without any chemicals involved. 

#1: Don’t Go To Sleep

No, that’s not a line from a scary movie (well, maybe it is). But staying up into the night is one way you’re likely to catch bed bugs on the move.

Bed bugs are most active at night when the environment for them to attack is just right. There’s food easily available, and the temperature is just right. If you suspect bed bugs, grab your popcorn, keep the room dark, sit nearby, and wait. If you have bed bugs, they’re likely to show themselves as the night goes on.

If and when you think you’ve spotted one (or two, or three, or four – you get the picture) inspect your sheets, mattress, and box spring with a flashlight as best as you can and call the professionals.

#2: Use Traps

You have random blood stains on your sheets and pillowcase. You’ve found shed skins around your bed. You think you have an infestation, but how do you draw bed bugs out of hiding to be sure?

Using traps, like an insect interceptor, can help you catch bed bugs and determine which direction they might be traveling to help figure out where they’re hiding. 

The insect interceptor forms a barrier between the floor and bed (or whichever furniture you place it underneath) and helps determine where the bed bugs are coming from. If they’re going to the bed, they’ll fall into the outer ring of the trap as they climb up its exterior. If they’re coming from your bed, they’ll land in the inner ring as they travel down the bed leg.

Glue boards are also successful for catching bed bugs when placed where you think they might be traveling. The extra-strength adhesive sticky glue is scented with an attractant to draw bed bugs over and help catch them. 

#3: Use Heat

Because bed bugs are attracted to warmth where they’re most likely to find their food source, using various methods to heat the suspected infected areas could be helpful.

Try heating your bed (or any infected area) with a…

  • Steamer
  • Blow dryer; or
  • Heater

… to bring the bed bugs out of hiding. 

But be aware, these heating methods are not hot enough to kill the bed bugs, just warm enough to trick them into thinking a human host is near.

To die, bed bugs need to be exposed to temperatures upwards of 100℉ for 20 to 90 minutes, depending on temperatures.

Pure Environmental has the tools and technology necessary for this job. Our heat treatment introduces heat to the area with industry heaters that penetrate affected areas. We let temperatures reach 130℉ and run the treatment for 3 to 4 hours to ensure we’ve killed off every bud bug.

 

how to attract bed bugs

 

Bed Bugs When Traveling: Where Do Bed Bugs Hide in a Hotel?

You might be able to escape your kids, your job, and even your entire family. But bed bugs will find you no matter where you rest your head at night.

If your skin isn’t already crawling enough thinking about bed bugs in your home, it will be now, knowing they also thrive in your hotel room. You can regularly inspect your home and do all of the things necessary to attempt to keep bed bugs away, but when it comes to hotels, the chances of getting bed bugs are high. Nearly 75% of professional exterminators have reported dealing with bed bugs in hotels and motels.

So you’ve just checked into your hotel and want to inspect it for bed bugs. Here’s where we recommend you look:

  • Check in the corners of mattresses and box springs, especially the plastic corners. Mattresses are manipulated more often as housekeeping cleans and changes bedding, but the box springs are often untouched, creating the perfect environment for bed bugs.
  • Bed bugs love to hide behind hotel headboards. They are often attached to the wall, creating a dark and warm spot for the insects. Try removing the headboard to take a good look behind. If bed bugs are in the hotel room, you’ll likely find them here.
  • Check in the bedding and the bottom skirting of the box spring.

Even if you don’t see physical bed bugs, you can look for evidence that they’re there. Things like:

  • Bloodstains on walls or bedding
  • Cast skins or shells; or
  • Insect droppings

Call Pure Environmental to Squash Your Bed Bug Problem for Good

Unfortunately, having bed bugs is not an uncommon problem. Whether they’re hiding in…

  • Your bed or bedding
  • Your luggage; or
  • Hotel rooms you visit

… you’ve probably encountered them before if you know it or not.

If you want to have your home inspected or you’ve spotted these pesky insects, Pure Environmental uses proven technology and equipment to get the job done. With our heat treatment, we work to draw bed bugs out and ultimately kill them, eliminating the problem in one treatment.

Squash your bed bug problem and contact us today.

 

how to make bed bugs come out of hiding