Bed bugs can be spotted on ceilings because they can crawl on walls to get to the ceiling. But even if they can be spotted on the ceiling, they will not stay out of their hiding spots, or harborages, for very long. Bed bugs prefer being out of humans’ eyelines because they consider humans to be dangerous.
Usually when bed bugs are on the ceiling, it is an indication of how severe the infestation is. Bed bugs prefer to be low on the ground, hiding out in mattresses, bed frames, carpets, and any furniture close to the bed. So, if all of the preferable harborages are occupied, bed bugs will have to find other ones, like the ceiling.
How do I know if I have bed bugs?
It is difficult to catch a bed bug infestation in its early stages. Bed bugs are so small and so sneaky that you will need to be very observant to spot them.
The first sign most people notice are the bed bug bites. They find red, itchy welts on the parts of their body that were not covered with clothes as they slept. The bites are either in a zigzag pattern or in a cluster, because when a bed bug feeds, they will bite the skin multiple times.
Another sign is the presence of blood stains on your sheets. These blood stains are from when a full bed bug is accidentally squished by the human host when rolling in bed.
There might be bed bug feces stains on your mattress. These are dark brown or black marks that look like ink stains.
Look under your mattress and the underside of the furniture near your bed and you might find discarded bed bug shells as well as pearly white bed bug eggs.
How do bed bugs get into my home?
Bed bugs have become a very common household pest in the past couple of decades. They can be introduced to your home via the baggage you bring home from your trips where you stayed in infested hotels. Apartment complexes can be a hotbed for infestations because bed bugs can cross walls as long as they can squeeze through cracks and crevices. A single pregnant female bed bug making its way to another apartment is enough to start a new infestation.
Thrifted clothes and furniture can also bring in bed bugs into your home because most thrift stores do not treat their items for bed bugs before putting them out on display.
Can bed bugs fall from the ceiling?
Yes, bed bugs can fall from the ceiling. You may think it is because of gravity or that they have gained a little too much weight, but actually, they fall from the ceiling because they lose their grip. Bed bugs can easily climb walls because they have hooks on their feet that can grip onto textured surfaces.
Why do I still have bed bugs after treatment?
Bed bugs can climb curtains and walls and reach the ceiling, they can hide in the corners of the ceilings, under wallpaper, and under paintings. You might inspect and pick off every single bed bug around your room, but if you forget a few bed bugs on the ceiling, they are enough to restart an infestation when not dealt with correctly.
What can I do to avoid a bed bug infestation?
1. Early detection
The most important step in preventing a bed bug infestation is to know how to identify a bed bug when you see one. Bed bugs are small, brown, flat, oval-shaped, with six legs, and two antennae. They like to hide in your mattress, linen, bed frame, furniture, carpet, and floorboards.
It also helps to know what bed bug bites look like.
2. Take vacuum-sealed bags when you travel
One of the most common ways people bring home bed bugs is by staying in infested hotel rooms. Storing your clothes in vacuum-sealed bags can make your belongings less accessible to bed bugs. To be extra sure, wash all of the clothes you brought on the trip the moment you arrive home.
3. Inspect your pet’s bed and toys
Even though bed bugs prefer human blood, they will feed on your pets if they need to. Check your cat or dog’s beds for signs of bed bugs. Wash your pet’s bed regularly and vacuum the surrounding area.
4. Seal any cracks on walls
Bed bugs can squeeze into the small cracks in your walls and in between your floorboards. You can seal these cracks by yourself or hire a professional to do it for you. The less the areas that bed bugs can potentially hide in, the easier it is to spot where their harborages are.
5. Inspect thrift store items before purchasing
Before purchasing any second hand items from a thrift store, inspect them properly to make sure they do not have bed bugs. This is important because some thrift stores do not bother treating their items for bed bugs as they consider treatment a waste of money.
If you find clothes or furniture that you simply must have, make sure you take the necessary steps to treat them before taking them inside your house.
6. Protect your mattress
Place your mattress and box spring inside a bed bug-proof plastic mattress encasement. This plastic cover will help keep the bed bugs away from your mattress. If your mattress already has bed bugs, the plastic encasement will keep the bed bugs trapped and they will starve and die. Unfortunately, it takes months to starve bed bugs, so you might have to keep the plastic encasement on for at least a year and a half.
Conclusion
Bed bugs can be found on the ceiling, especially in the corners, under the wallpaper, and behind paintings. They can easily scale walls because they have hooks on their feet that can grip on the small cracks on the walls and ceiling. This allows the bed bugs to find hard to reach hiding places that may not be affected by certain treatment methods. The bed bugs that survived the initial bed bug treatment while hiding away in the ceiling, can then restart the infestation.
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