The name “bed bugs” might make you assume that these critters are always found in bedrooms. Although it’s rare to see bed bugs lurking in places far away from a bed, they do occasionally stray to other areas of the house, like the bathroom. That’s why you need to know what to do about bed bugs in your bathroom.
From treatment to prevention, it’s important for homeowners to know how to create an effective plan to eliminate these nuisance pests. In most cases, getting rid of bed bugs requires a combination of multiple treatment methods to successfully eliminate these pests.
Do Bed Bugs Live in Bathrooms?
Bed bugs don’t normally hide in bathrooms. However, that doesn’t mean that bed bugs are never found in bathrooms, just that it’s unusual. Bed bugs are most likely to stay in your bedroom, where there is bedding and furniture to hide in.
But sometimes bed bugs like bathrooms, which provide a safe place for them to hide. In the bathroom, you might spot bed bugs in several spots:
- On the floor
- On the wall
- Behind baseboards
- Behind wall hangings
It’s possible to find bed bugs in the bathtub, though it is not likely. Bed bugs prefer secluded spots, and bathtubs are too exposed. Besides, bed bugs can’t climb up a bathtub’s slippery surface very well. Bathtubs are usually a bed bug-free area. And generally, you should be able to quickly spot if there are any bed bugs present in the tub.
If you have found one bed bug in the bathroom, there are bound to be more bed bugs hidden just out of sight. A singular bed bug is often an indication of a much bigger infestation issue.
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in the Bathroom
If you discover a bed bug in the sink, bathtub, or near the toilet, you might be wondering if you can simply wash it down the drain.
Bed bugs aren’t gifted swimmers, so when submerged, it doesn’t take long before they drown. Bed bugs can be washed down the drain of a tub or flushed down the toilet. However, this only deals with one or two bugs. The infestation will persist. You need an official treatment plan in order to get rid of the bed bug problem in your house.
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Your Home
Here are some simple steps you can take to get rid of bed bugs in your house:
- Declutter the room by removing items or clothing on the floor.
- Vacuum areas of the bed, including the mattress, box spring, and bed frame.
- Steam the mattress, box spring, and bed frame. Leave to air dry.
- Spray your bed frame and spots around your bed with a contact and/or residual bed bug pesticide. (If you’re hiring a pest control pro, it’s best to skip this step and leave the chemicals up to them.)
- Once dry, put a mattress cover over your mattress and box spring.
- Move the bed away from the wall and remove the bed skirt.
- Set up bed bug interceptor traps (or make a homemade bed bug trap).
- Wash and dry bedding and clothing on high heat.
- Treat or dispose of infested furniture.
Follow along with this video to learn how to encase your mattress and box spring and use bed bug interceptors on your bed.
These are the first steps to bed bug control. Of course, you still need to hire a pro to handle the bed bugs, as these preventative measures alone aren’t enough to stop an entire infestation.
After you schedule a bed bug treatment, your pest control company will provide instructions for what to do to prepare your home before the pest technicians arrive. If you don’t follow these instructions, the bed bug control company won’t be able to treat your bed bug problem that day, and you’ll have to reschedule, which will cost you money and time.
There are multiple natural home remedies for treating bed bugs, so homeowners should choose the option that is best for them. Take a look at some methods and our helpful articles about them:
- Diatomaceous earth (How to Kill Bed Bugs With Diatomaceous Earth)
- Cold treatment
- Heat treatment (Heat Treatment for Bed Bugs)
- Steam treatment (Does Steam Kill Bed Bugs?)
- Essential oils (How to Use Essential Oils for Bed Bugs)
- Glue traps
You can also use pesticides to treat bed bugs. However, the problem with using chemical bed bug sprays inside the house is that they are best used by a licensed pro, and they may carry risk if used incorrectly, especially for homes with small children and pets.
How to Prevent Bed Bugs in the Bathroom
Nearly all bugs are drawn to moisture, and there’s plenty of that in a bathroom. Bed bugs don’t actually drink water, since they get moisture from the blood they drink. However, moist or humid climate conditions may protect bed bugs from drying out between blood meals.
Here’s how you can prevent bed bugs by reducing the amount of moisture in the bathroom:
- Wipe down damp surfaces: After you shower, wipe down shower walls, countertops, or sinks to soak up the moisture in your bathroom.
- Turn on the bathroom fan when you shower: Showers and baths add a lot of moisture to the air. Whenever you shower, switch on the bathroom fan to reduce moisture levels.
- Repair leaky pipes: Check areas underneath your sink or around your toilet for signs of leaks or excess water dripping from the faucets.
- Clean your bathroom frequently: We prefer a clean environment, but bugs feel the opposite. Bed bugs are drawn to dirt, mold, and grime, so cleaning helps keep these nasty critters away.
- Seal cracks or crevices: Bed bugs are approximately the size of an apple seed, so they can fit into cracks and crevices as thin as a credit card. Caulk places where bugs might be hiding or able to get inside your home.
- Use a dehumidifier: A dehumidifier is a handy device that can regulate the amount of moisture in the air. Try turning one on whenever you shower.
Why Did I Find a Bed Bug in My Bathroom?
To know how to prevent bed bugs in the bathroom, the first thing to consider is how they were able to get into your bathroom in the first place. Below, we’ve listed some of the common reasons why you might find bed bugs in your bathroom.
Travel Increases the Chance of Bed Bugs
Frequent travelers are most likely to pick up bed bugs, since many hotels suffer from bed bug infestations.
Bed bugs are hitchhikers. They often find their way into your home by catching a ride on your luggage or clothing after a night’s stay at a hotel. Even your workplace can be infested with bed bugs. In addition, after a long day at the office, you can get bed bugs if they crawl into your bag or suitcase and catch a ride back home with you.
So to prevent bed bugs as you travel, conduct a thorough inspection of the hotel room and the bed area. Also be careful where you store your luggage during a trip.
If you have bed bugs on you, you can wash them off during a shower. Of course, merely washing a few bed bugs off your skin will not treat your house. It will only get rid of the bed bugs on you. To truly treat a bed bug infestation, more intensive treatments are required.
Apartment Building is Infested
Bed bugs don’t discriminate. They are free to travel from apartment to apartment as they please. Normally though, bed bugs are likely to stay put in one location as long as they can get blood meals from an unsuspecting host.
Ask your neighbors if they have had any experience with bed bugs or if the apartment complex has had a history of bed bug infestations.
Keep in mind that not everyone will give you a straight answer. Some people might be too embarrassed to admit they have a bed bug infestation in their living quarters. Other people might not have yet detected the presence of bed bugs in their apartment and may be genuinely oblivious to their bed bug problem.
A Neighbor is Treating Bed Bugs
Sometimes the reason you find bed bugs in your bathroom is because the inhabitants in the neighboring apartment are trying to get rid of a bed bug infestation.
Sometimes people use bed bug foggers or bombs in their house to get rid of bed bugs. Unfortunately, these are largely ineffective. The fumes of foggers and bed bug bombs scatter bed bugs, but they usually aren’t potent enough to kill the pests. If you live in an apartment complex, the end result is that fleeing bed bugs might seek refuge in your apartment instead.
Severe Infestation
If bed bugs are hiding in your bathroom, it may indicate a severe bed bug infestation. Bed bugs like to hide out of sight. But if all the good hiding spots are already occupied, bed bugs will spread further out. They might find their way to your bathroom, especially if the bathroom is adjacent to your bedroom.
Bed bugs can also be easily transported to your bathroom in laundry baskets. Once a basket of infested laundry is unloaded in the bathroom area, bed bugs can simply crawl off. Once they do, your bathroom becomes infested.
How Do I Know I Have Bed Bugs?
Adult bed bugs look like apple seeds in shape and size. Their backs are flat and round, and they’re a reddish-brown color. An adult bed bug can grow to about 1/4 inch in size.
Bed bugs feed on blood for sustenance. That’s why they typically linger around the bed area. But you might also find signs of them in your bathroom, so check for bed bugs by keeping an eye out for:
- Bed bug feces in the bathroom: Fecal matter appears as small black smears or reddish blood stains. These spots are most commonly found on your sheets or around your bed, but they can be found on your bathroom floor too.
- A live bed bug: Getting a visual of a living, breathing bed bed (or the body of a dead bed bug) is undeniable evidence that you have bed bugs in the home. Make sure it really is bed bugs that you’ve found. There are several other types of bugs that look like bed bugs, so it can be difficult to identify them properly.
- Discarded bed bug skins: When they molt, bed bugs shed their skin. They might leave these unpleasant gifts around your quarters for you to find. This kind of evidence can alert you to a bed bug problem.
- White, oval-shaped eggs: Bed bugs usually lay their eggs in tight spots where they are hidden out of sight. But there’s a possibility you might find bed bug eggs if you check the nooks and crannies in the bathroom. However, a bed bug’s eggs are miniscule, about the size of a pinhead.
For a helpful walkthrough, watch this video from the University of California to help you learn how to inspect rooms in your home for bed bugs.
If you want a professional second opinion to confirm that you have bed bugs, you can schedule a bed bug inspection. Some companies even use dogs to search for bed bugs. These canines are specially trained to detect bed bugs. They signal when they locate any of the pests.
FAQ About Bed Bugs in Your Bathroom
Where Do I Find Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are most commonly found in spots around the bed, but they can also be found in other rooms such as bathrooms. When you inspect for bed bugs, search any cracks and crevices. These tiny creatures can fit in an opening as small as the width of a credit card. All components of the bed should be searched, including:
- Sheets
- Blankets
- Pillowcases
- Mattress
- Box spring
- Headboard
- Footboard
- Bed frame
- Stuffed animals
You should search other spots as well, including furniture and the baseboards. Don’t forget to check behind paintings and electrical outlets.
Can Bed Bugs Climb Up a Bathtub?
Bed bugs are not able to climb up smooth surfaces, which makes areas like the bathtub safe from bed bugs. It is also why when you travel, it is recommended that you store your suitcase in the bathtub until you have inspected the room for bed bugs.
Can Bed Bugs Live in Your Car?
Yes, bed bugs can live in a car. Bed bugs are hitchhikers that ride to new places on luggage or on your clothing. Sometimes they don’t make a full journey to your home and get stuck in your car instead. In that case, you may also need to get rid of bed bugs in your car.
Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite
Don’t panic if you find bed bugs in your bathroom. Bed bugs are a nuisance to deal with, but it is possible to manage the problem and successfully eliminate the pests. Once you have identified them, you can start taking steps to treat the pest invasion in your home.
Ready to get rid of your bed bug problem today? No problem; we can help you find a local bed bug exterminator to provide you with bed bug treatment.
Main Image Credit: Koefbac / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
