Is your home heavily infested with bed bugs? Living in a home with a serious bed bug infestation is disturbing. When you think you have finished eliminating these bugs from your home, you find some at unexpected locations like the electrical outlet.
An electrical outlet is a secret place in bedrooms where bed bugs like to hide because such areas are out of sight.
As a homeowner, you can clean your entire house, but one place that you rarely clean is your electrical outlet. The electrical outlet hosts different kinds of pests like ants, termites, bugs, and other pests at home.
We will explore in this article 5 incredible ways to remove bed bugs from an electrical outlet in the home.
Keep reading to find out more.
Do Bed Bugs Like Electrical Outlets
Yes, bed bugs love electrical outlets, but it is not every electrical outlet in the house you will find bed bugs. They like an electrical outlet close to people where they can easily access human blood and feed on it while sleeping. When a bedroom is infested with bed bugs, it is likely to find some of these bugs hiding in the electrical outlet in the bedroom. However, if the bed bugs infestation spreads from the bedrooms to other rooms, you will find bed bugs in the electrical outlets and other items.
Why Do Bed Bugs Like Electrical Outlets?
Bed bugs like electrical outlets because it’s a good hiding place and because of the warmth that is generated in the electrical outlet. Also, they like tight and dark areas, so they hide in the electrical outlet. Bed bugs are busier at nighttime and in the dark. During the day, they rest to digest the blood they have sucked at night. They like isolated and safe places so they will not be detected early. That is why they choose tight and dark places like the electrical outlets.
Also, bed bugs like electrical outlets close to beds. That is because of the carbon dioxide that people release when they sleep. Also, they like the outlet because of the carbon dioxide released inside.
They hide in outlets closer to where people sleep to crawl to them when they sleep. When all lights are off, bugs leave their hiding to feed on people’s blood.
Can Bed Bugs Get Into Electrical Outlets
Bed bugs have numerous routes to get into electrical outlets that will surprise you. One of the first ways bed bugs can get into electrical outlets is through cracks in the walls that lead to the space behind the electrical outlet. They can crawl through that cracks and hide behind the electrical sockets.
Another way bed bugs can get into an electrical outlet is through gaps around the electrical outlet. Some of these gaps are due to improper fixing of the electrical sockets.
Also, some gaps around the electrical switch are due to worn-out sealant around the electrical outlet. If the sealant used to seal the gaps around the electrical sockets loses its strength, it will open the gaps. That will create a way for bed bugs, ants, cockroaches, and other pests to sneak into the switch to hide there.
How Can I Point If Bed Bugs Are Hiding In My Electrical Outlets
Detecting bed bug infestation at the initial state is difficult because of how these bugs behave. They always hide during the day and only come out at night when the whole house is quiet and dark. That is when you see these bugs coming out of their hiding to the human beings close to their hideout. Even though it is difficult to tell if bed bugs are hiding in your electrical outlet, there are a few signs to use. That can provide you a hint that your outlet has bed bugs.
- Check your bedsheets and pillows. If you want to know whether bed bugs are hiding in your outlet, you can check your bedsheets whenever you wake up. If you check your bed sheets and find blood stains on your bedsheets, you have bed bugs hiding in your room.
- Fecal stains. Fecal stains are dark brown. These are bed bug droppings that they excrete after digesting the blood they suck. Their feces looks like blood, but this one comes in dark brown.
If you notice such stains in your bed sheets or walls around the electrical outlet, you can tell there are bugs in the outlet.
- Shed skins. Another way you can tell you have bed bugs hiding in your electrical outlet is when you see bed bugs shed skins around your electrical outlet. Bed bugs have exoskeletons like termites and cockroaches. As they develop, they free their skin at least 5 times before they die. If you have bed bugs in your electrical outlet, you will see more of these skins around it.
Can Bed Bugs Come Through Electrical Outlets?
Yes, bugs can come through an electrical outlet. They can use so many mediums to get into your electrical outlet and use that same medium to come through it.
Some bed bugs can get into the electrical outlets through the gaps that are around the electrical outlet. When they want to come out from the electrical outlet, they can pass through those gaps again to come out.
Bed bugs can also get into outlets through crevices on the walls around the electrical outlet.
If the cracks are where they pass to get into the outlet, they can pass through the same cracks to come out.
Can Bed Bugs Damage Electrical Outlets
The presence of bed bugs in an electrical outlet can lead to short circuits or even cause an electrical fire. When you have a high bug infestation in your outlet, they can cause overheating in the electrical outlet that can cause a fire outbreak.
Also, when their feces and shed skin pile up in the outlet for a long time, it can result in overheating and fire dangers.
Bed bugs in the electrical outlets can also cause electrical shock. The electrical shock can result from wet bug feces in the outlet.
Can Bed Bugs Bite Through Electrical Outlets?
No bed bugs do not bite through electrical wires or plastics. What they bite most often are humans or animals because of their quest for blood. Bed bugs choose electrical outlets, mattresses, and other spaces because such spaces are out of sight.
Such places are tight and dark, which is what bed bugs like. They enjoy hiding in dark and tight places because of the heat generated.
Bed bugs are not interested in the wires in the electrical outlet. Rather, their interested in the electrical outlet for different reasons. Their interest in the electrical outlet is to hide and enjoy the warm temperature in the electrical outlets.
Can You Spray Bug Spray In Electrical Outlets?
No, spraying electrical outlets with bug spray is not a good idea. If you spray bug spray in an electrical outlet can electrocute you.
Another reason is that most of these bug sprays are highly flammable. , which can lead to fire outbreaks in the house.
Also, using bed bug spray in an electrical outlet can ruin the wires you are trying to protect. The chemicals in the bug spray can rust the metals and the wires in the electrical outlet. That can cause electrical problems in the house.
How Long Can Bed Bugs Live In Electrical Outlets?
Bed bugs can live in an electrical outlet for so many months. They can endure long if they have access to blood. However, young bed bugs can stay a few weeks when their host is unavailable. Depending on the temperature, older bugs can stay in an electrical outlet for about 20 to 400 days without feeding. If the temperature in the electrical outlet increases to about 118°F, the bugs will die within 20 minutes.
Also, if the temperature in the electrical outlet reduces to 0°F, bed bugs will not be able to survive or stay long in the outlet. Bed bugs cannot leave without oxygen. If you block air entry into the outlet, all the bed bugs will get trapped, suffocate, and die. So lack of oxygen in the electrical outlet, bed bugs will live for a few days and die.
Can Bed Bugs Travel Through Electrical Outlets
Bed bugs can travel through electrical outlets when the infestation is high. They can pass through the electrical outlet to access other rooms in the house. Even though bed bugs can spread through the electrical outlet, they prefer to travel on physical items. Bags, clothes, bedsheets, electronics, and many other items that bugs travel on.
Can I Bed Bug-Proof My Electrical Outlet?
Yes, you can bedbug-proof your electrical outlet to prevent bed bugs from entering the outlet. However, it is quite difficult to bug-proof because bed bugs are tiny. They can pass through the smallest spaces around the electrical outlet and get inside. But if you want to bed bug-proof your electrical outlet, you have to seal all the cracks and close all the gaps around your electrical outlet.
You can also use outlet covers to cover all your electrical outlets. It can prevent bed bugs and insects from using that medium to enter the electrical outlet.
That is how you can bedbug-proof your electrical outlet. Since bed bugs are tiny, it becomes difficult for unprofessional to identify loopholes.
Therefore, getting a professional to bedbug-proof your electrical outlets is good. Since they are well experienced, they will be able to identify all loopholes around the electrical outlets and fix them.
How To Get Bed Bugs Out Of Electrical Outlets
When you start to see signs of bed bugs in your electrical outlet, you must eradicate them quickly. Getting bed bugs out of your electrical outlet is difficult because you need to tackle them well so they will not spread to other rooms in the house.
Here are 5 ways to remove bed bugs from your electrical outlet.
- Before you take any action, you must inspect all the electrical outlets in the house first. The inspection will help you identify all the outlets that have been infested. If you identify the infested outlets, you can use bed bugs glue traps to trap the bed bugs. The carbon dioxide in the glue traps will attract bed bugs to come out of their hidings to eat. When they trace the carbon dioxide and come out from the outlets to where the trap is, they will get stuck in the glue trap.
However, the glue trap method can work well when you have a few bed bugs infestation. But when the infestation is high, the bed bugs’ glue trap cannot be too effective. You will need a professional intervention.
Use Steam Cleaning To Get Bed Bugs Out Of Your Electrical Outlet.
To use steam treatment to kill bed bugs from the electrical outlet, you need to get a steam cleaner that has a narrow nozzle. That will help you direct the heated nozzle to the cracks around the electrical outlet. The bed bugs in the crevices and the outlet will not be able to stand the heat from the steam, which will kill all of them.
However, when using a steam cleaner on an electrical outlet, you must be extra careful to avoid electrocution. Before you use any steam cleaner, please read the label first. You must read to understand the instructions that come with it from producers.
Use A Vacuum Cleaner To Get Bed Bugs Out Of Your Electrical Outlet.
Another way you can get bed bugs out of your electrical outlet is by vacuuming the electrical outlet. Use the vacuum cleaner to hoover up all the bed bugs, including their eggs, from the outlet. After, make sure you dispose of the vacuum bag after using it.
Use Pesticides To Get Bed Bugs Out Of Your Electrical Outlet.
You can use pesticides to kill bed bugs from your electrical outlet. It is not all pesticides that you can use to kill bed bugs. There are specific pesticides that have been designed to kill bed bugs. To use pesticides to kill bed bugs, get a recommendation from an expert to get the right one.
Call Pest Control Services To Get Bed Bugs Out Of Your Electrical Outlet
If you see bed bugs in your electrical outlet, inspect the entire room to know the degree of infestation. With a high bed bug infestation, there is the need to call bed bugs exterminators for assistance. To come and exterminate them from your house.
These professionals have experience exterminating or removing bed bugs using their special strategies. That will protect you from tension and also give you peace of mind. If you decide to remove the bugs yourself, it will take a lot of energy. It is good to get professional assistance to do the eradication well.
Final Thought
If you have a bed bugs infestation in your house, one common sign you can use to identify to tell you to have bed bugs is their bite on your skin. You can also point out bed bug infestation when you see fecal stains or blood on your bedsheets.
Bed bugs can hide in different areas of your house, including your electrical outlets. You can identify that if you see shared skins around the electrical outlets or blood stains. These bugs can live inside your electrical outlets as long as they get access to their host. Bed bugs hide in the electrical outlet because of the warm temperature inside. Also, bugs like dark, tight, and isolated places, which is why they hide in electrical outlets.
Seal all the cracks around your electrical outlets to deter bed bugs from entering.
Also, if you have bed bugs infestation, you can vacuum them up or use steaming to kill them. You can also apply bed bugs insecticides.
However, these methods can work effectively if the bugs have not spread to other room parts. But you will need professional assistance if you have a high bed bug infestation. They will use effective treatment methods to eradicate all the bed bugs.