It's no secret that bed bugs hide within your mattress and box spring, they are, after all, called bed bugs. There are several other surprising places these pests also tend to hide, though. Knowing the common spots helps you monitor for the pests so you can schedule a prompt treatment if you find them.

1. In Your Luggage

One way bed bugs spread is via hotel rooms and travel. They get into your luggage, where they then hitch a ride back to your house. For this reason, it is best to quarantine your luggage after every trip. Promptly launder everything in the suitcase. Wipe out every nook and cranny of the suitcase, outdoors preferably, then store it in a sealed garbage bag when it isn't in use. This ensures no hitchhikers enter your home.

2. Behind the Headboard

Bed bugs like dark, tight places to hide. They also need to be near their prey, which is you. Headboards can provide the perfect hiding place, especially if you use a mattress cover that keeps them from hiding in the mattress. Check behind the headboard often. It may also help to pull the bed back from the wall so that the headboard isn't resting right against it.

3. Under the Rug

Rugs are another natural hiding place for bed bugs, particularly rugs under the bed or near other areas where humans or pets sleep. Underneath the rug provides just the dark place the pests require. Check beneath rugs periodically for any pests. If possible, launder the rug often as well so that any bed bugs that are hiding in the fibers will be destroyed. If you are battling bed bugs, it's best to skip rugs entirely or only use machine washable varieties.

4. Inside Books

Bed bugs are flat creatures, which means they can squeeze in the space between the binding and the spine. They may even wiggle their way between pages. If you keep a stack of reading material on the floor or on a nightstand near the bed, books can be a natural place for the pests to hide. Store your books away from your bed. If you do keep a book in bed with you, place it in a plastic zip-top bag or sealed container before turning out the lights for the night.

Contact a bed bug control service to ensure that all of the pests are found and destroyed.

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