Tips to Finding and Killing Bed Bugs on Walls
Aside from beds and furniture, you can actually find bed bugs anywhere humans lounge, rest, or sleep. They can be found in restaurants, schools, hospitals, and even popular stores. These critters can also hide in carpets. Sometimes, leaning against a wall or slightly brushing against a wall infested by these critters can lead to an infestation as you bring them to your home.
A rule of thumb when searching for bed bugs on the walls is by checking for spaces and cracks where a credit card could fit. Since these pests are almost the same width as credit cards, any space where the card fits makes it possible for bed bugs to fit too and make it their new hiding spot.
Checking the walls near your bed as well as any furniture down to every corner connecting the floor and each corner connecting to the ceiling. In addition, wall outlets and switches can also be hiding places of these pests, thus you should also check these areas.
Do Bed Bugs Crawl On Walls During The Day?
A sign that a room or home is heavily infested is when bed bugs climb walls and when bed bugs live in the walls. It is a clear sign that the pests are running out of space to inhabit and start looking for new paths where they can crawl through and get to another room. They will crawl through electrical wires and pipes and use them as highways into different rooms or homes. Though it is a common problem in most dormitories, hotels, and apartment complexes, it can also be an issue for most single-family homes.
How to Kill Bed Bugs that Hide in Walls
If bed bugs hide in walls, how can you possibly reach and kill them? The following are things that you can do:
- Sprinkle pyrethrin powder on cracks
If you can’t reach them, one way to kill them is by sprinkling pyrethrin powder on every possible crack where they can pass. You can remove switch and outlet plates and use a duster to sprinkle or apply the powder in small spaces. Every time they pass through these areas, the powder will stick to their bodies and will eventually kill them. You can also use diatomaceous earth in this process to kill bed bugs hiding in walls or other small spaces in your home.
- Caulk these spaces
One way to prevent bed bugs from getting into other rooms is by caulking or sealing all of the cracks. However, you should be wary of all the cracks and crevices in your home and seal them properly. The last thing that you want to see is the bed bugs accessing other parts of your home because you haven’t seen the small crack left unsealed in a room.
Along with these tips, bed bugs infesting your entire home and living through your walls can be prevented by using other treatments for detecting and monitoring bed bugs. Using several treatments together is a collective effort in dealing with bed bugs.
