Can Hidden Bed Bugs Be Coaxed Or Attracted Out Of Hiding?

There’s nothing worse than dealing with hidden bed bugs. These pests are mind-numbingly difficult to get rid of. This is mostly because bed bugs are extremely small. Most people think of bed bugs as being these enormous things. This really isn’t true at all. In fact, these pests are actually about the size of an apple seed. This makes them very good at hiding.

These pests are able to squeeze into the tiniest places. These places are mostly inaccessible to humans, and this makes the bugs extremely hard to get rid of. So, what can you do about hidden bed bugs? Is there a way to bring them out of hiding, or are you stuck with these pests?

Where do bed bugs hide in your home?

The unfortunate truth is that bed bugs cannot be coaxed or attracted out of hiding. There are several reasons for this. These pests are nocturnal for starters. They really only come out once it’s dark and do everything they can to avoid the light. The other reason is because they only come out to feed on humans. Yes, another problem is that they only do this when they detect that we’re asleep.

This is really the problem with hidden bed bugs that can be found in various rooms around the home. To attract an animal or pest you need bait. In the case of mice, you’d use something like peanut butter. The fact that humans are the food that bed bugs crave, makes this a little harder. The only way to do this would be to set an alarm clock and wake up in the middle of the night. Hopefully, you’ll catch the bugs feeding on you. Unfortunately, this is extremely unrealistic and impractical.

What to do about hidden bed bugs in your home

So, to answer the question, hidden bed bugs cannot be brought out of hiding when you check for bed bugs. But what can you do about these pests then? The solution is heat treatments. This is a method where the air in your room is gradually heated up by a machine. You can think of this machine as a giant and extremely powerful heater.

All pests are sensitive to certain temperatures i.e. when it gets hot enough the pest will die. This includes bed bugs. Yes, according to research, these pests die when exposed to temperatures of 45°C for around 90 minutes. This heat is capable of penetrating into all areas of the room. This includes places like cracks and crevices and inside mattresses. Bed bugs cannot hide away and will eventually die, no matter what. Another nice thing about heat treatments is that all eggs and nymphs are also killed. This means the bed bugs cannot return. Bottom line: you cannot trick bed bugs out of their hiding places, but you can kill them with heat.