Bed bugs can be a nightmare for homeowners. These pests, belonging to the Cimicidae family, emerge at night to bite while you’re asleep, only to disappear by morning. Contrary to their name, bed bugs are not limited to beds; they can infest various areas in your home, although they typically reside within 10 feet of where you sleep.
Locating bed bugs is essential because eradicating them completely can be extremely challenging. With their rapid breeding rate, even a few surviving bugs after treatment can quickly multiply and create a new population. These pests also spread easily through clothes, luggage, and furniture. If you suspect a bed bug infestation, it’s crucial to take immediate action. DHPL Travels is here to help you identify and eliminate bed bugs concealed in your walls by addressing some common questions you may have.
Can Bed Bugs Live in Walls?
Yes, bed bugs can inhabit and hide inside walls. They can make their home in any wall type, whether it’s made of wood, plaster, or brick, as long as there are cracks or crevices for them to access. These openings provide safe havens for bed bugs to rest during the day and feed at night. Common entry points for them include electric outlet openings and cracks where walls meet the floor.
Bed bugs prioritize cracks and crevices, so walls made of panels, drywall, or those that are older and worn down are more likely to harbor them. Newly constructed brick walls may not offer enough spaces for bed bugs, while fifty-year-old wooden walls could be infested.
How to Determine if Bed Bugs are in the Walls?
Identifying bed bugs in the walls by solely visual inspection is difficult, if not impossible. It’s more effective to search for signs of bed bug activity and examine the walls for potential hiding spots.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), you can use a credit card to gauge if a crack is large enough for a bed bug to pass through. Try sliding a credit card between your floor and the wall near your bed. If it fits, there’s a chance that bed bugs are dwelling there.
Additionally, watch out for typical indicators of a bed bug infestation around your walls. Look for small blood stains on your bedding, feces, and shed skins around your bed and near cracks and crevices on the wall and floor. If you notice these signs and find suitable cracks, it’s likely that bed bugs have established themselves.
How to Eliminate Bed Bugs in the Walls?
Attempting to kill bed bugs exclusively within the walls is not the most prudent approach, even if they are present. Bed bugs likely infest other areas in your room as well. Hence, treating the walls should be part of a comprehensive strategy to eradicate them.
A recommended product for treating walls is CimeXa dust, which is a non-toxic substance that physically eliminates bed bugs by damaging their exoskeletons and dehydrating them. To apply the dust, use a duster with a rubber tip, allowing you to reach into cracks and crevices, including those beneath the walls or within wall voids after removing an outlet cover.
Unlike liquid sprays, a duster can disperse the light dust into the air. By creating a temporary cloud of dust back in the wall void, you can cover a significant area, potentially targeting many bed bugs living there.
Should I Drill a Hole in my Wall to Treat for Bed Bugs?
No, drilling extra holes is unnecessary for treating bed bugs in the walls. Since bed bugs enter through existing cracks, there is no need to create additional openings. Furthermore, bed bugs must leave the walls to feed, so comprehensive treatment of the entire room should eventually eliminate bed bugs in the wall, even in hard-to-reach areas.
Instead of drilling, consider using bed bug interceptor traps around the floorboards and keep your bed away from the wall. This will make it more difficult for bugs living in the wall to access your bed at night.
Will an Ultrasonic Pest Repeller Expel Bed Bugs from my Walls?
No, ultrasonic pest repellers are ineffective. Numerous studies have conclusively shown their inefficacy against various insect species. It is best to avoid purchasing these devices, and if you already have them, it’s advisable to discard them.
Can a Heat Treatment Eradicate Bed Bugs in The Wall?
Yes, heat treatment can effectively destroy bed bugs throughout your home, including those in the walls. However, consult with a pest control specialist who can provide specific answers and address any concerns you may have regarding heat treatments.
To kill bed bugs within the walls, the wall voids must be heated to sufficiently high temperatures.
How Long Can Bed Bugs Survive in the Walls?
Bed bugs cannot remain hidden in the walls indefinitely since they need to emerge for feeding and reproduction. Without access to a blood meal, bed bugs within the walls can survive anywhere from 20 to 400 days, depending on temperature and humidity levels.
Can Bed Bugs Inhabit Electrical Outlets?
Bed bugs are unlikely to reside inside live electrical outlets. Instead, they are more prone to hiding in the voids where outlets are installed. During bed bug inspections and treatments, you can remove the plastic covering and examine this space. It’s safe to apply CimeXa dust to this area since it doesn’t pose a risk to electrical components. However, avoid putting the dust directly into the outlet itself.
Can Bed Bugs Travel Through the Walls of an Apartment or Hotel?
Yes, bed bugs can traverse through walls, which facilitates their spread within buildings and infestation of multiple units. These pests are small enough to crawl through gaps used by wiring and plumbing. Therefore, if you reside in an apartment building, it is crucial to promptly inform your landlord if you suspect a bed bug infestation, enabling them to take immediate action to protect the entire building.
How Can I Prevent Bed Bugs from Entering Through my Walls?
Unfortunately, preventing bed bugs from entering through walls is challenging because they can exploit exceptionally narrow cracks, as thin as a credit card. However, you can minimize their access by treating suspected cracks and crevices with CimeXa dust and using interceptor traps.
Can Bed Bugs Chew Through Walls?
Thankfully, bed bugs cannot chew through solid materials like walls. Unlike pests such as carpenter ants or termites, bed bug mouths are not designed for chewing. Bed bugs rely on existing cracks or holes to enter and exit walls.
Can Bed Bugs Crawl up Walls?
Yes, bed bugs are skilled crawlers like most insects. They can crawl up and down walls and bed frames to reach your bed, particularly if it is in contact with the wall. Moving your bed away from the wall can minimize bed bugs’ access to you during the night. However, this precaution alone is not foolproof, so it is essential to implement bed bug treatment as well.
Remember, if you ever need assistance with bed bug infestations or any other travel-related concerns, feel free to reach out to DHPL Travels.