I saw a thing on Facebook about a woman who was freaked out when a bed bug crawled out of her smart phone while she was using it! Yikes!! Can that happen? C. T., Boston, MA

There was probably a bit of exaggeration to this story, but yes, given just the right circumstances, it could happen. Bed bugs like to hide in cracks and crevices during the day, and they are opportunists. A cell phone is pretty well sealed but it’s possible that a desperate bed bug could hide in the tight space between a phone and the phone’s case or in the accessory, USB, or other port openings on the phone. The typical cell phone is probably handled and moved too often, though, to provide the  nice, quiet hiding place that bed bugs like.

The Best Hiding Places Are In or Near the Bed

Bed bugs can be found in all manner of strange and unusual places and objects, especially if the infestation is large and the bugs are running out of prime hiding places. Bed bugs will normally spend the day in hiding in and around a bed (or other places where people rest or sleep) so that they are near their blood source at night. They can be found in mattress tufts, inside box springs, in joints of the bed frame, and in objects under the bed. If the infestation gets a little larger, bed bugs will move out to hide in places such as behind baseboards, under picture frames on the wall, inside drawers of bedside tables, and behind wall outlets (see What Are the Signs of Bed Bugs?).

Bed bugs like to crowd together but you can only fit so many into any crack. In heavy infestations, bed bugs are forced out and are found even farther away from the bed where they can invade closets and dressers, for example. They’re not normally found infesting clothing but can do so if they’re running out of options. Bed bugs have been found hiding in the eyelets of shoes and in the reservoir half of metal snaps on clothing. They like to crawl into purses, backpacks, luggage, tote bags, and similar items. This is one way that they are transported to new locations (see Bed Bugs Don’t Arrive in Swarms). Then if a bed bug hitches a ride to an office or a school, it has to find a new place to hide in its new location.

Bed Bug Inspections Must Be Extremely Thorough

The ability of bed bugs to utilize so many varied harborage sites is why a thorough inspection is so important, and so difficult. There are many places that must be checked. Miss a few bed bug eggs hidden in a screw hole and the infestation can start up all over again. It’s also why everyone in the know says that you must have professional help to get rid of bed bugs. Bed bug control is not a DIY job. If you suspect that you have bed bugs, give Colonial Pest a call. Our experts are ready to answer your questions and set up that all-important inspection.

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