Dresser drawers are the most unexpected places where bed bugs can hide.
And you can entirely skip the drawers while you’re getting rid of bed bugs on your own.
Big mistake!
In this guide, you’ll find out the signs of bed bugs in drawers and why they’re there.
There’s also a step-by-step process laid out for you to follow to eliminate bed bugs from your drawers.
Let’s get into it.
Can Bed Bugs Live In Dresser Drawers?
Bed bugs can easily live in the dresser drawers because of the clutter, darkness, and warmth the drawers provide.
They’ll hide in between the folds of the fabric inside the drawer.
Any crevice on both inside and outside the drawer shelves is also a perfect hiding place for the bed bugs.
The worst part is that the presence of bed bugs in drawers is a sign of a bad bed bug infestation.
In most cases, bed bugs tend to hide in the bed because that’s where these pests get their bloodmeals from.
In your bed, bed bugs will hide in the cracks of headboard, bed frame, box spring, cushions, pillows, and in the seams of mattresses.
And you get to know about their presence when you wake up with bed bug bite marks on your skin.
But when their numbers increase, in other words, when the infestation spikes, the bed bugs breed profusely.
(A single female bed bug can lay 200-500 eggs in her lifetime!)
And they run out of hiding places in the bed.
So, they move into the crevices of nearby fixtures and furniture, including your dresser drawers, that are within 6-8 feet from your bed.
The best part is that no matter where bed bugs hide, they leave behind signs.
And they leave signs when they’re in the drawers too.
Signs Of Bed Bugs In Drawers
Live Bed Bugs
There’s no proven sign of bed bugs in drawers than sightings of adult bed bugs in the drawer.
You’ll notice them as reddish-brown oval shaped bugs on the fabric that you keep in the drawers.
Inspect any thin gap and crack on the dresser drawer’s frame, joints, and even the underside of the drawer.
Chances are that you’ll notice live bed bugs hiding in the cracks.
Bed Bugs Eggs In Drawers
If bed bugs can hide in the dresser drawers, then they’ll also lay eggs there, especially when they’re getting their regular bloodmeals.
They’ll deposit their eggs in the cracks on the drawers.
Bed bugs eggs look like shiny white and they’re elliptical.
But bed bug eggs are too tiny to notice with a naked eye.
So, you might want to take a flashlight and magnifying glass to inspect the drawer for the eggs.
If there are bed bugs eggs in the drawers, then you can also come across baby bed bugs.
Baby bed bugs are translucent white and small.
Bed Bugs Casings
Another mark that bed bugs leave behind where they hide is their shed skin.
Like many bugs, bed bugs also molt, till they reach their adulthood.
So, sightings of bed bugs casings, or shed skin, is quite possible inside the drawers too.
Look for bed bugs casing, bed bugs eggs, and bed bugs nymph in the cracks, corners, and footers of the dresser drawers.
If you don’t see adult bed bugs, but you’re noticing these signs, then it’s certain that there are bed bugs in dresser drawers.
If too many bed bugs are in the dresser drawer, then you’ll also find their fecal matter in it.
Bed bug feces in the drawers look like tiny blackish-red dots on the drawer and fabrics.
How To Treat Drawers For Bed Bugs?
Treatment of drawers is a part of bed bug treatment.
So, if you’ve noticed bed bugs in dresser drawers, you must inspect your bedroom, and other rooms, for bed bugs.
It’ll be best to hire a pest controller for an inspection because bed bugs in drawers means that infestation has gotten worse.
But if you want to get rid of bed bugs specifically from the dresser drawers, then follow the steps below –
Empty The Drawers
The first step is to remove all the belongings inside the drawer.
But ensure that you take nothing out of the room where the bed bug-infested drawer is.
Wash The Fabrics In Hot Water To Kill Any Bed Bugs In Them
Wash clothes, towels, and other fabrics that you kept in the drawer in hot water.
And dry them at the highest possible heat which is safe for the fabrics.
Hot water and heat will kill the bed bugs, their nymphs, and any eggs that might be in the fabric.
Keep The Things in Drawers In A Sealed Plastic Bag
You don’t want the bed bugs in the drawers to spread else where in your home.
So, after decluttering or emptying the drawers, put the little belongings that you can’t wish in sealed plastic bags.
Keep the plastic bags inside the room. Do not take out of the room for now.
Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth In The Drawers
I don’t recommend using pesticides spray to eliminate bed bugs from furniture.
Most consumer grade pesticides available can kill bed bugs on contact. But they don’t have much of residual toxicity.
On detecting the insecticide spray bed bugs escape and hide elsewhere in the house.
So, do not use any bed bug spray or bug bomb on the dresser drawer.
Instead, sprinkle a desiccant like diatomaceous earth in the drawers.
Ensure that the diatomaceous earth enters into the all cracks and gaps, both inside and outside, of the drawer.
DE kills bed bugs by penetrating their shells and by soaking up the bodily fluids inside their bodies.
Wait for 15-30 minutes after scattering diatomaceous earth in the drawers.
Vacuum Clean The Drawers
Take a vacuum cleaner a clean the drawer of the diatomaceous earth and the dead bed bugs.
It’s important that you also clean the undersides and the rear of the drawer.
You can also use a steam cleaner to clean the drawers.
The steam cleaners produce high heat that is lethal for bed bugs in all life stages.
Keep The Sealed Plastic Bags With Belongings In The Freezer
Remember in the first step you packed up things from the drawer in the third step?
Take those those sealed plastic bags and keep them in the freezer for 48 hours.
Remember not to keep the things in the freezer that extreme cold can damage.
Extreme cold and high heat kill bed bugs.
So, the freezing cold in the freezer will kill any bed bugs that might be lathing onto the things in the plastic bag.
Hire A Pest Controller
Treatment of drawers to get rid of bed bugs is a part of bed bug treatment.
So, if you’ve noticed bed bugs in dresser drawers, you must inspect your bedroom, and other rooms, for bed bugs.
It’ll be best to hire a pest controller at least for an inspection because bed bugs in drawers means that infestation has gotten worse.
After inspecting your home for bed bugs, the bed bug specialist might recommend a home-wide bed bug treatment.
Other Places Where Bed Bugs Can Hide
It’s not only your bed and drawers that can be hiding places for bed bugs.
Any soft fluffy place or thing in the house can give bed bugs shelter.
Following are the most surprising places that you skip to inspect for bed bugs.
Couches
Couches are soft, fluffy, with lots of folds and gaps.
They’re dark from the inside making it perfect for bed bugs to hide.
The best part for bed bugs is that they can get access to your skin in the couch.
Bed bugs will hide in the threading, in the foots, and in the interiors of the couch.
Curtains
Bed bugs in curtains is a real possibility when the bed bug infestation has crossed it’s limit.
Bed bugs move out of their conventional hiding places and start to look for any thin fold or gap that they can sneak inside.
Closet
Just like your drawer, stuffed with clothes is an ideal place for the bed bugs to hide, your closets and wardrobes can also harbor bed bugs.
These places are cozy and don’t receive any light.
That makes it ideal for bed bugs to sneak into them and hide.
Never skip your clothing storage sections while inspecting your home for bed bugs.
Carpets And Rugs
Carpets and rugs are soft and fluffy with a lot of dense fabric.
That makes it perfect for bed bugs to hide in them.
Bed bugs primarily choose to hide near the edges of the carpets where the threading and stitching are dense.
Floor
Any thin gap and crack on the floor is an ideal hiding place for parasitic insects like bed bugs and fleas.
Bed bugs are common in bedroom floor, especially when there’s no place left for them in the bed to hide.
Walls
When the infestation is heavy, bed bugs use the thin wall voids to hide.
That’s why the pest controller specialists also check for bed bugs in the wall cracks.
And they caulk the cracks during the treatment so that the bed bugs can’t hide in them.
Wallpapers
Bed bugs often hide behind wallpapers, especially when they’re hiding in the walls.
Over time, gaps between the old wallpaper and the wall develops.
This gap is perfect for bed bugs to hide during the day.
Picture Frames
The picture frames in your home that hold your memories or favorite art can also shelter bed bugs.
Bed bugs will use the thin gap between the photo and the frame to hide in them.
They’ll also use the cracks on the rear side of the frame to hide.
Baseboards
The gaps on the baseboards are another hiding places for bed bugs that you can easily overlook.
Pest controllers use insecticide sprays in the baseboards and the floor to kill any bed bugs hiding in them.
Luggage Bags
Luggage like suitcases can be hiding places for bed bugs.
Bed bugs can latch onto your luggage and hitchhike to your home.
This is the most common way that bed bugs spread if you’ve been into a bed bug-infested home or stayed in a hotel room that had bed bugs.
In addition to all the things above, bed bugs can hide in lamps, toys, and even inside shoes.
Your Takeaway
Bed bugs in drawers is a sign of a bed bug infestation that has skyrocketed.
Bed bugs look for alternative places to your bed to hide when their numbers inside the home grow.
Follow the steps laid out in this post after seeing the signs the of bed bugs in your drawers.
You should also check your dresser drawers, clothing storages, and other unsuspecting places mentioned in this post for bed bugs.
Dr. Thomas Orbert is a PhD in Entomology with extensive research experience in ectoparasites and microbials. He has also worked in the spaces of ecology conservation and has multiple years of experience in field research and scientific publishing.