Bed bugs are a big nuisance for any household since they cause plenty of problems. These nocturnal insects are brown and oval in terms of appearance. They crawl out of their hiding space just after dark and feed on blood. It is hard to determine if your home has a bed bug infestation since these bugs are not easy to spot. They crawl into the tiniest of spaces, which lowers the chances of anyone discovering them. In this guide, we’ll be showing you 5 methods on how to find bed bugs during the day!
It is important to figure out the extent of the infestation and make sure that your home isn’t in trouble. These bugs can quickly spread throughout the house and trigger further problems. Below, we have identified a few ways you can find bed bugs during the day.
5 Methods On How to Find Bed Bugs During The Day
It is difficult to inspect bed bugs at night since they are hard to spot and hide in small cracks and crevices. However, with the right strategy and tips, you can discover their hiding spots during the day as well. These bugs like to hide near the food source in a dark and humid environment.
Moreover, they also possess the ability to withstand high temperatures and moisture. Here are some ways you can find bed bugs during the day:
1. Explore the Areas near the Bed
Since the bed bugs don’t like to stray too far away from the food source, the chances are that you might find them near or inside your bed. They will be present within a 20 feet radius of your bed, so you should explore these areas in-depth to determine the infestation during the day.
Make sure to start from your bed and explore the corners and hidden spots to identify these bugs. During the day, there’s enough light for you to look closely at the tiny areas and confirm the presence of bed bugs.
2. Use Adequate Tools
During the day, visibility is high, which allows you to easily spot these creatures. Make sure that your home gets adequate sunshine to help you spot bed bugs. You can open the windows and set aside the curtains for sunlight to seep in and ensure that you get natural light to tackle the issue.
You can also use different tools to your advantages, such as a flashlight and a magnifying glass to look closer into the small cracks. Bed bugs have great hiding skills, so you will need to go the extra mile to spot them during the day.
3. Look out for the Infestation Signs
Bed bugs are often found in the mattress since it is closer to you, and they can get their daily consumption. Infestation usually occurs in one area, which might be more visible and easy to find. Make sure to check between the stitches and folds since bugs like to hide in such areas. You may come across signs of infestation that indicate the presence of bed bugs. You can do the same with the furniture as well to spot the hidden bed bugs.
4. Look for Bed Bug Eggs and Nymphs
If you are unable to find any bed bugs crawling around during the day, you can look out for their eggs and nymphs instead. These nymphs are often colorless in appearance and often have a small red dot in the middle of the body. Since there will be plenty of them at a specific place, it might be easier for you to spot them during the day.
During the day, you can even spot their eggs. Their eggs are very small and are about half the size of a rice grain. These eggs are an indication of a bed bug infestation on your property. Both of them are hard to spot during the night.
5. Lookout for Bites
It is still possible for bed bugs to venture out of their hiding place during the day in search of more blood. If you begin to experience itching during the day, it might be due to bed bugs.
If bed bugs start to come out during the day, it might be an indication of a full-blown bed bug infestation. Therefore, you need to look out for signs before it is too late.
Places Bed Bugs Hide During the Day
The inspection may take plenty of your time, especially when you don’t know where to begin. Ultimately, it can be quite troublesome for the entire household, with bugs almost everywhere. There are different areas than mattresses and beds where bed bugs can be found. Some of the places include:
- Couches and sofas
- Furniture cracks
- Nightstands
- Electrical outlets and switchboards
- Behind paintings and frame
- Luggage and bag packs
- Clothing
All these places are difficult to look at when you want to spot bed bugs. Often, you’ll require additional tools such as a flashlight to thoroughly inspect the space. On numerous occasions, they can also be found on the carpet and pillowcases. These bugs are constantly on the move, and thus, you need to make sure that you adopt an effective inspection strategy.
What to do After you Spot Bed Bugs- DIY Bed Bug Treatment
There are plenty of ways a homeowner can treat bed bug problems themselves. Make sure that you don’t go for any unauthorized chemical treatment since it will put the household at further risk.
Let’s take a look at some of the DIY methods a homeowner can adopt to get rid of bed bugs.
· Heat Treatment
Bed bugs don’t like excruciating heat, and you can use this to your advantage. You can start by using a clothes dryer on high heat in the infected areas. A portable heat chamber can also be a good option to tackle the issue.
The success rate of using heat treatment is about 50 percent since it often requires professional help from experts who are aware of optimal temperatures and methods.
· Cold Treatment
Just like the high temperatures, bed bugs are not a big fan of extreme cold either. Homeowners can leverage the cold treatment to successfully control and get rid of bed bugs. All you need to do is set the freezer temperature of the house below 0° Celsius. This will enable the homeowner to get rid of almost every bed bug inside the house.
· Steam Cleaners
Another way to apply the heat treatment is to use a steam cleaner. This method involves either wet or a dry steamer inside the cracks and carpets to help overcome the bed bug problem. Make sure the overall reading is 130° F, and it should not have a lot of pressure. The steamer should have a diffuser in place to prevent bed bugs from scattering.
How to Keep the Bed Bug Infestation From Spreading?
Since bed bugs can spread at an exponential rate, it is important to apply an effective strategy to avoid the spread of these pests. Here are a few steps that you need to take into account:
- Remove any infested piece of furniture or affected things such as furniture and other items.
- Some of the items should be sealed with the help of a plastic bag to make sure that all the bed bugs are dead.
- After you vacuum clean the house, make sure to empty it as soon as possible in the outdoor trash can.
- In some areas, it might be impossible to get rid of the bed bugs. Therefore, it would be better to discard them responsibly instead of keeping them inside the premises.
- Make sure the trash collection agency quickly picks up the discarded items.
- It is also important to know which furniture to discard and which you should keep using. Therefore, you should take professional help to make an informed decision.
Times When Bed Bugs Are Most Active
Most bed bugs are active during the nighttime, especially between 2 AM to 5 AM. During these hours, it is easier for them to hide and prey on humans without being noticed. During the day, there is plenty of light around, which makes them easy to detect.
But it doesn’t mean that they don’t prey during the day. Usually, their feeding pattern is unpredictable, and they may feed whenever they feel hungry. If they are unable to feed themselves during the night, they will eventually wait for the perfect opportunity to feed during the day.
Final Thoughts On Finding Bed Bugs During The Daytime
To catch bed bugs during the day, you will need compact planning and discipline. At the start, it may feel like a lot of work, but once you are determined and focused, you can start to find the bed bugs in your place. You need to make sure that you adopt the above-mentioned tricks when looking for them during the day and deal with the infested areas quickly.
Finding these bloodthirsty bugs during the day will increase the chances of their discovery. At night, one can barely see anything properly, and the bugs might hide quickly. I hope this guide on how to find bed bugs during the day has been helpful for you!