Can Bed Bugs Live in Pillows? | Where They Really Hide

It’s a question many people ask after discovering bed bugs.

After all, if these insects feed while you’re asleep, surely your pillow is the obvious place for them to live?

Surprisingly, not usually.

Although bed bugs can occasionally be found around pillows, they rarely choose the pillow itself as their main hiding place.

Like everything else they do, their choice of harbourage comes down to one simple principle:

They want somewhere safe, dark and undisturbed.

A pillow that’s moved, fluffed and repositioned every day isn’t ideal.

Where are they more likely to hide?

If bed bugs are close to your pillow, they’re usually hiding in areas nearby rather than inside it.

Check:

These locations provide much better protection than the pillow itself.

It’s possible, particularly if a pillow has a tear or opening that allows access to the filling.

However, it’s uncommon.

Even when inspecting active infestations, we’re far more likely to find evidence around the bed than inside a pillow.

This is often an emotional reaction.

People naturally want to remove anything they’ve slept on.

In most cases, however, replacing pillows isn’t necessary.

The priority is identifying where the bed bugs are actually hiding rather than replacing items that show no evidence of activity.

The signs are exactly the same as elsewhere:

Inspect the bedding carefully, but remember that the pillow is only one small part of the sleeping environment.

People often spend ten minutes inspecting the pillow and ten seconds inspecting the headboard.

If I had to choose one, I’d inspect the headboard every time.

It’s usually quieter, darker and far less disturbed, making it a much more attractive hiding place for bed bugs.

Inspect the pillow, but don’t stop there.

Continue into the mattress seams, bed frame and headboard.

The answer is often only a few centimetres away from where you first started looking.

Can bed bugs live inside memory foam pillows?

It’s uncommon. They generally prefer sheltered areas around the bed rather than the pillow itself.

Should I wash my pillows?

Washing may be appropriate depending on the manufacturer’s instructions, but it won’t address bed bugs hiding elsewhere in the room.

Do bed bug bites mean they’re living in my pillow?

No. Bites simply indicate they have fed. Their hiding place is often elsewhere around the bed.