Where bed bugs hide

Bed bugs have been known to travel 50 to 60 feet to find a human host, and to hitch-hike in purses, laundry and suitcases from one building to another. These pests dislike light and are rarely seen in the daytime, unless the building, home or house is heavily infested. They hide in places humans do not typically look closely at and which remain dark when the lights are on and the sun is shining.

The photo at right highlights several common places where bed bugs hide in a bedroom or hotel room:

• Behind picture frames
• Beneath sheets and blankets in the folds of a mattress, as shown in the bottom left photo
  
• On the outside lining of drawers where you cannot see them, even if you open the drawers
• Behind, between cracks and under layers of bed frames
• In the cracks of a sofa or a chair
• Hitchhiking in purses, luggage or baggage or even in clothing

Signs of bed bugs include:

• Small blood stains on sheets
• Holes in sheets or blankets where bugs have chewed through
• Unexplained bites on one's extremities, as shown in the bottom right photo