HOW TO FIND BED BUGS DURING THE DAY [Fast and Simple]
HOW TO FIND BED BUGS DURING THE DAY [Fast and Simple]
Bed bugs are nocturnal pests and they like to be active during night time. The reasons for that are, they do not want to be spotted and threatened during the daylight and human hosts are more available to suck the blood as they are sleeping at night time.
Bed Bugs deliver a small amount of anesthetic before they bite, so it is most of the time not possible to feel it. Even after they bite, some people may see no skin reaction at all, and other people may even experience severe skin reactions, rashes etc. In those cases it is best to consult your doctor.
Let’s examine how to find bed bugs during the day so that you can take necessary measures to remove them.
Can You See A Bed Bug With The Naked Eye?
Yes, that’s possible. Although it is always possible to confuse them with similar bugs, check out this article for bugs that look like bed bugs.
A bed bug roughly resembles an apple seed in size, shape, and color. Their color ranges from light brown to dark brown. With age, the shell gets darker.
As with a tick, when they feed, their body expands to accommodate their food. An adult bed bug has a wide, long and flat body, a small head, and a small midsection.
Their heads have two antennae that stick out directly from the sides. They have six legs.
The reason they aren’t often seen by the naked eye is that they don’t often come out during the day. Nighttime is the best time to go out as they’ll be less likely to be disturbed midway through. Consequently, they are less likely to be seen.
Seeing A Bed Bug During The Day, Is It Possible?
Bed bugs prefer dark environments as they don’t like light. They know that coming out during the day increases their chances of being noticed. That’s why they come out when their hosts (humans) are sleeping, so they can feed without being disturbed.
A bed bug’s day is spent digesting its food. They won’t feed again until the evening or night when it’s safe to come out again.
In rare instances, especially when threatened, they will become active during the day. As an example, flipping the bed sheet and exposing them makes them start crawling and move away to hide somewhere else.
Bed bugs can be found during the day using a few methods. However you need to do this carefully otherwise you might spread bed bugs.
In the next sections, we’ll explain where and how you’ll find them without disturbing them.
When Do Bed Bug Come Out?
You won’t be able to outsmart these pests by staying up all night.
The peak feeding time for bed bugs is between 2 – 5 AM.
Even if you are, for example, working at night, if they cannot feed during the night, they will go out from wherever they hide, crawl and try to find a human host to suck his/her blood.
They are attracted to our body temperature and the carbon dioxide we breathe out.
Will Bed Bug Come Out With Lights On?
In general, bed bugs are considered to be nocturnal. They prefer to be active at night, in dark environments. So they hunt for a host and take a blood meal at night as much as possible.
they may still come out in search of blood meals particularly if there have been no human hosts around for a while, and they are hungry even when the lights are on at night or during the daytime.
So, bed bugs can be active during the day or in a lighted environment, though that’s a rare case compared to their activity when people are in sleep.
Where Do Bed Bug Hide During The Day?
It is easiest for bed bugs to hide in places that are dark and difficult to access. Bed bugs are most commonly found underneath mattresses. They have a flat body structure when they are unfed so they go into narrow places to hide very easily.
Unfortunately, most people do not change their bedding frequently enough so they stay not disturbed. In addition, few people flip their mattresses frequently enough to disturb them. Possible hiding spots are.
Inside your mattress’ piping and near it. In order to stay visible, they will push themselves as far into the gap as possible.
Under furniture, particularly where cracks are on them. Your bedroom furniture is especially vulnerable to this, but furniture around the house can also hide bugs.
The hardest places to find them are cracks in walls or floorboards. Occasionally, bed bugs can also be found in your carpet, although this is not one of their favorite hiding places.
There are several reasons why these places are so popular, including the dim lighting and the fact that they are not far away so they don’t have to crawl far to feed. They will breed and lay their eggs more frequently, causing an infestation if you leave them undisturbed.
Where Do Bed Bugs Lay Eggs?
It is true that bed bugs do not carry diseases like other household pests, but they can grow and spread very quickly.
It is possible for a female bed bug to lay up to five eggs per day, which means that, in a year, you could have 1,800 bed bugs biting you and your family in the evening and causing thousands of dollars in damage.
Eggs are usually laid in the mattress or cushions of furniture by the aptly named bugs. This is because the areas are usually dark, safe, and in close proximity to humans or animals they may feed on.
It is also possible for bed bugs to lay their eggs in walls, baseboards, and floorboards. While bed bugs usually lay their eggs in mattresses, you may also find them under the buttons of the mattress or under the mattress tags.
How To Find Bed Bug In Mattress
The tufts and folds of the mattress, along the seam, and even inside the mattress can often contain them. Additionally, they are present in the box-spring, bed frame, headboard, and near-bed furniture. After feeding, they leave “blood spots” and cast skin on materials, which may be an indication that they’re nearby.
Lifting or flipping your mattress during the day is the best way to check for bed bugs. Rather than living anywhere else in the room, bed bugs tend to live in mattresses.
In general, infestations like to be within six feet of your bed. Due to the close proximity, they do not have to cross the floor and get lost in order to find you.
While you don’t have to, wearing rubber gloves if you find bed bugs disgusting is recommended.
Remove the sheets first if you want a thorough inspection.
Remove the bed sheets and place them in a plastic bag before sealing it. To avoid spreading bed bugs around the house, empty the bag directly into the washing machine.
Look carefully at each side of the mattress to see if you can spot any bed bugs. As opposed to being in the center of the mattress, the insects will likely be huddled around the corners and edges. If necessary, turn the mattress over. To prevent bed bugs from spreading, lift each side one at a time.
Check both sides of the mattress. You will be able to see plenty of bed bug evidence without even lifting the mattress in a severe infestation. Be on the lookout for old shells, dead bed bugs, fecal matter (black spots) and small blood stains.
Even if bed bugs cannot be seen directly, there are numerous signs of bed bugs in a mattress, apart from the bugs themselves.
Bed bugs leave behind dark, digested blood when they go to the bathroom, which results in fecal staining. A drop of blood may also be present from just after they bit you, where it fell from their beak or your skin.
You may also find cast-off shells. Bed bugs shed their shells after they have grown up. Every now and then, they’ll shed their shell, until they become adults. This shell’s material is similar to a nail, so it doesn’t break down or decompose. Therefore, you can find them too.
How To Check For Bed Bugs In Furniture?
Bed bugs hide in furniture and lay their eggs in it, so a home that was previously free from bed bugs may become infested quickly if contaminated items are brought in. This is why it’s so important to thoroughly inspect couches, chairs, etc. whether you already have them or bring them to your home.
Special equipment is needed to conduct a proper visual inspection of your used furniture for bed bugs.
- A magnifying glass are recommended
- A flashlight (or torch)
- Pick-up tools such as tape or tweezers
- A pair of gloves (latex, vinyl, or even nothing more than a plastic bag)
- Containers for collecting insects for identification
- Clean white sheets
- Cards, knives, or index cards
- Bags for small items such as pillows that may be infested
- In the event of a heavy infestation, a vacuum cleaner
Position all furniture on the sheet.
The white sheet should be laid out on the ground, with the items you wish to inspect piled on top of it. Make sure you inspect the used furniture before bringing it into your home.
It is necessary to have a white sheet in order to spot bed bugs – or traces of bed bugs – that may fall to the floor during your inspection of the furniture.
How to use your Cards, knives, or index cards to identify them?
Fingers can be used to run over the surface of the items, but a credit card, index card, or knife are better. If the furniture has cracks, crevices, creases, or grooves, run it through them. Bed bugs like to hide in these places.
Check the white sheet and your gloves carefully for any signs of bedbugs. Bed bugs not only leave stains, but also leave eggs and feces, which look brown or red. If something seems suspect, use your magnifying glass to examine it closer.
Additional Tips
In addition to a thorough visual inspection, you can simply ask whether a piece of furniture has bed bugs. Inquire politely about whether the current owners have bed bugs, or whether they’ve ever had them. Those items of furniture should probably be avoided if their answer is yes.
Despite removing all the living insects from their home, some bed bug eggs may still remain. It only takes those eggs to start a new infestation. It’s always a good idea to find out exactly why someone is getting rid of a piece of furniture that’s still in decent condition. The reason is often bed bugs! The same is true when it comes to furniture left by the roadside.
Bed Bug On Wall During Day
The bed bugs can be seen during the day. They may crawl on the walls. This is a bad sign. It is a sign that the infestation has gotten worse if bed bugs are seen during the day. The bugs are looking for other hiding places.
However, there is a catch. The crawling bugs on the wall may also be swallow bugs. Bed bugs look similar to swallow bugs. Swallow bugs are parasites of swallow birds. These birds can fall off their nests and hide in your house if they have nested on your property.
The bed bugs will also hide in cracks and gaps on your walls (most probably on bedroom walls).
When bed bugs are heavily infested, you can find them everywhere, including the ceiling and wall junctions, at wall and door, window frame junctions too.
Also, you might find them in outlets, switches, and receptacles. If you find bed bugs near electrical outlets, you should seek the help of a professional electrician to mitigate any risk of electric shock.
Other Places To Check For Bed Bugs
Bed bugs can be found in cribs, plush toys, chairs, and pillows. Despite being called bed bugs, they do not live only in beds. A nest of bed bugs can be made anywhere in your house if the conditions are right. We recommend inspecting other areas of the house along with the bedding, such as:
- Footboards and headboards
- Near Appliances
- Under and around couches, chairs, and other seating areas
- Strollers, cribs, car seats (if applicable)
- In closets
- Within Shelves and Books
- Inside drawers
- Under all floorboards and baseboards
- Around carpet edges
- Underneath the bed
- Other Furniture Including Desks, Tables, Dressers, and Nightstands Below and Inside
- Inside Electronics
- Near Picture Frames
In conclusion, you can come across bed bugs during the day, even if not you can find them using the methods we detailed in this article.
Please let me know your questions.
Thanks for reading that far, all the best.
Pest Control Professional
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can You Check For Bed Bugs During The Day?
Generally, bed bugs are nocturnal and prefer to take blood meals at night. They will also come out during the day or at night when lights are on, to take a blood meal, especially if there have been no human hosts for a while and they are hungry.
Where Do Bed Bugs Hide In The Daytime?
In and around the bed, on wall junctions with ceilings, door and window frames, in furniture, and in some other places explained in this article.
How Do Bed Bugs Come Out Of Hiding In Day Time?
They do not prefer light but if they are hungry they will crawl out of where they hide to look for a blood meal.
Will Bed Bugs Bite In Daylight?
They do not prefer to appear during the day but if they are unfed for a long time they will come out of where they hide to look for a blood meal.
How Do You Find A Bed Bug Nest?
Under or around the bed, pay close attention to the grooves in hardwood flooring. Observe the bottom and top of the baseboards. Check for cracks in the wood or nail holes.
What Season Do Bed Bugs Come Out?
When they are unfed with blood for a long time.
Do Bed Bugs Hide During The Daytime?
Yes, they prefer to hide during the daytime, they are nocturnal pests.
How Do You Draw Bed Bugs Out Of Hiding?
Generally, bed bugs sleep when you are awake. Since most people sleep at night, bedbugs can roam freely at night.
To simulate nighttime, make your home dark. Bedbugs can be lured out of hiding by using darkness and heat.
Many bed bug exterminators sell bed bug lures that can entice bed bugs to come out of hiding. Bedbugs are attracted to heat and CO2 in these products. They can even be trapped and eliminated.
Bed Bug steamers solve two problems at once. Heat sources attract bed bugs, so they’re going to approach hot steam. They’ll die if they get too close. Consider renting a steamer so you can use it to lure and kill bedbugs.
Bedbugs can also be lured out of hiding by using a heat source. Leave a heating pad plugged in on your bed to attract the bugs out of hiding. Bedbugs will become attracted to the heat if you do this. Detect bed bugs before they hide by moving quickly.
Can You See Bed Bugs With The Human Eye?
Yes you can. Check the relevant section in the above article to find out how.
Are Bed Bugs Active During The Day?
They are mostly active during the night. But they may be active during the day if they are unfed for a long time.
Who Can Get Bed Bugs?
They generally prefer human blood but if they are hungry for a long time they can also use pets for a blood meal.
Are Bed Bugs Dangerous?
They do not carry and spread diseases but they can cause many skin problems, please consult your doctor in case you have been bitten.