If there’s one mistake I see people make time and time again, it’s assuming bed bugs are wandering around the bedroom all day.
They’re not.
Once they’ve fed, they head straight back to a hiding place and stay there until they’re disturbed or it’s time to feed again.
That’s why finding the hiding place is far more important than trying to catch a bed bug out in the open.
Where I always look first
Every inspection starts in exactly the same place.
The bed.
Not the middle of the mattress, but the places most people ignore:
- Mattress seams.
- Piping around the edges.
- Mattress labels.
- The headboard.
- Bed frame joints.
- Slats and fixing points.
If I don’t find evidence there, I gradually expand the search.
Other common hiding places
Depending on the room, I’ll also inspect:
- Bedside cabinets.
- Upholstered chairs.
- Curtain headings.
- Behind pictures.
- Skirting boards.
- Loose wallpaper.
- Electrical sockets (where it’s safe to do so).
The larger the infestation, the further they tend to spread from the bed.
One thing I’ve noticed over the years
Many homeowners turn the entire room upside down before they’ve properly inspected the bed.
I’d much rather spend twenty careful minutes checking the bed than two hours searching random places.
A methodical inspection nearly always finds more evidence.
My advice
Don’t try to inspect everything at once.
Start close to where people sleep and work outwards.
That’s exactly how I approach every property because it’s the quickest way to build a clear picture of what’s happening.