eliminating ants, flies and other household pests

Bed bugs are not microscopic like you may have heard, but they are pretty tiny. As such, they can hide in some pretty creative places, thereby avoiding exposure to the pesticides that you or a pest control technician apply in an effort to kill them. But if you know their hiding spaces, you can take action and do a better job of eliminating these pesky bugs. Here are four sneaky spots where bed bugs like to hide.

In the outlets

The holes around your electrical outlets are very inviting to bed bugs. They can actually spread from room to room this way. They go in one electrical outlet in the first room, and then they come out another outlet in the second room! You or your pest control contractor should make sure to spray inside the outlet box to kill any bugs hiding here.

Under cushions

If you have any plush furniture, like sofas or recliners, make sure you have it treated for bed bugs. They love plush furniture as much as they love mattresses! And they don't just gather on the top of this furniture. They can hide underneath the cushions, too. If your cushions are removable and washable, just wash them in hot water and dry them on high heat. The heat will kill the bed bugs.

In the box spring

Often, homeowners will treat their mattress and then encase it in plastic to trap any lingering bed bugs inside. But if you do not do the same to the box spring, you'll probably still be bitten by bed bugs at night. The box spring may not be as plush and nice for the bed bugs to hide in as the mattress, but they don't care; it's a place to hide. Most mattress covers will fit a box spring, too.

Under loose wallpaper

Pull your bed and other furniture away from the wall. If you see any gaps in the wallpaper or areas where the wallpaper is peeling away, check for bed bugs. It's not a bad idea to just spray this area preemptively. All it takes is for one bed bug to crawl behind the loose paper and lay her eggs, and you'll have a re-infestation within days once those eggs hatch.

To get rid of bed bugs, you have to be sneakier than they are. Most pest control companies know to check and treat these areas, but it never hurts to ask and be sure.

To learn more, contact a bed bug exterminator.