Fond of scary stories? This topic is probably worse than a scary story because it can happen to you in real life. Hope your skin is already pre-crawling, because if you didn’t know, bed bugs aren’t just isolated to your bed and other fabric surfaces, they can also appear in your electronic appliances. More importantly, they can even show up in electronics that are warm even though bed bugs prefer colder settings, and can usually be repelled by an intense heat treatment.
How does this happen? Bed bugs can migrate to other areas of the home that don’t necessarily have beds or sofas. Why? As a bed bug, their main goal is to feed, and their source of blood usually comes from the person that owns the home/appliances. As such, they can temporarily seek shelter in your appliances and can live in these warmer places because humans still frequent the areas the appliances are in and thus providing a source for food for the bed bugs to feed on.
It is very possible to not have bed bugs in your actual bed, but have them in a TV or laptop that is located physically close to you as they can still feed from you. Even if you have done a treatment to get rid of bed bugs, they can still be reintroduced into the home. This can happen from them taking a hitch on your clothes, backpacks, luggage, or anything of that nature. But don’t worry if you have a bed bug infestation in your appliances! Instead of throwing expensive electronics or appliances out, there are still many ways to treat these parasitic infestations.
Note that throwing away items is only suggested as a last resort move, because most things these days have been tried and done so that other people can also use the methods. If you’re wondering how or what appliances you should be looking at if you have a bed bug infestation, here is a list of the appliances that bed bugs are more likely to go for.
1.) Check Your Television Set
This is really only a main concern if you have a television set near where you sleep or frequent. If it’s in a completely different room than the bedroom, there is a highly unlikely chance of the infestation coming from there. But if you do have a TV in your bedroom, it would be smart to look through all the outlets and holes with a flashlight to see if you spot any crawling movements.
2.) Hiding In Your Computers/Laptops
A desktop computer does have a less likely chance of having an infestation, but you can’t rule it out just yet. If you’re someone living in a bedroom that is also your office space, checking your computer or laptop is crucial. Since desktop computers are hardly moved around, these pesky little bloodsuckers can be lurking underneath or around them. There’s a lot of little outlets and holes in desktop computers and it makes it so much easier for them to hide and come out when you’re not aware.
The same goes for a laptop. There are many out there who probably sleep with their laptop in the bed or close by. That’s fine if you don’t have a bed bug infestation. But if you do, and they’re not in your bed, please check your laptops. People have reported finding bed bugs in their speakers or under the keyboard.
3.) Check Your Phones For Bed Bugs
Technically, with the types of smartphones we have today, it is not very possible for bed bugs to find big enough openings for them to slip through. However, if you have a bed bug infestation, baby bed bugs can be small enough to slip through the smallest of holes on your phones. This is not common though, and shouldn’t be the first thing you check when looking for the infestation origin.
4.) Bed Bugs Hiding in Vacuum cleaners
Weird appliance to be worried about, especially since it’s not one that’s close to a bed. However, if you are someone that keeps their vacuum underneath or close to your bed, it is very possible to have bed bugs in your vacuum. Even if you suck them up with the appliance, they don’t die just like that. In fact, they can stay living in the compartment for up to a year. Yes! They can live on not feeding for a year. They are persistent parasites. Unless you are regularly disposing of the vacuum bag right away, it would be an appliance to check out as well.
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Your Appliances
Now, with most of the popular appliances listed out that bed bugs can infest, you’re probably wondering how you can get rid of them without throwing your appliances away. Heat treatment is near impossible to use in these situations because your electronics can start malfunctioning if in high enough heat. However, if you don’t want to invest in a professional, there are some ways you can go about it personally.
Nuvan Prostrips can be placed in an airtight bag with your appliance, have it wait out 24 hours and then check to see if there is still an infestation. Be very careful when handling Nuvan, as it is very toxic and can kill you or even your pets if not handled properly. Another way to handle this is to soak a rag with your choice of pesticide and place it next to your appliance in another air tight bag. This process is supposed to suffocate the parasites and therefore rid you of your infestation.