Can Bed Bugs Live In Storage Unit And Garages?

It is beneficial to check for bed bugs in your storage unit or garage. These insects are very efficient crawlers and can spread very quickly from these places to your bedrooms and other rooms.

No, bed bugs do not live in storage units and garages. They are commonly found in bedding, furniture and clothing. Bed bugs can only be found in storage units and garages when they hitch a ride in luggage, purses, backpacks, or other items kept there.

Bed bugs can easily spread from the garage to your entire home, so it’s very important to take action before it’s too late.

So, if you are planning to buy furniture from a garage sale or storage unit then this post is for you. 

Because today I’ve covered all the tips and tricks for avoiding bed bugs in garages and storage units.

But first, let’s learn about bed bugs in storage units: how they get there, where they live, and how to prevent them.

How Do Bed Bugs Get Into A Storage Unit?

It is unusual to find bed bugs in storage units someone has placed infested furniture, tables, or mattresses in them.

However, bed bugs will not go to the storage unit on their own. Since they mostly affect bedrooms and other rooms where they can easily reach potential hosts.

Bed bugs can go without feeding for 20 to 400 days, depending on temperature and conditions. 

So if you buy a used mattress or furniture, you should pay attention to all the accessories of that storage unit.

Bed bugs commonly live in mattresses and furniture. They crawl through everything in that unit to find a potential host. 

Because the bed bugs only need blood to survive, If you bring a single infected item into your home, these insects can easily spread from corner to corner.

Also, just to remind you, a female bed bug can lay between one and five eggs per day. In addition, she can lay up to 500 eggs in a lifetime.

And such a quantity of eggs can easily cause infection in your home. But what if you left the storage unit on for a long time? Will the insects die there?

Well, keep reading if you want your answer…

How Long Can Bed Bugs Survive In Storage?

As I mentioned, bed bugs can also survive for a long time without food. But only when they get a favorable environment.

A storage unit is very different from a regular room. Because the storage unit is the first priority of lizards, spiders, and red ants. 

All these insects are known as bed bug hunters. Because of these predators, bed bugs cannot stay in the storage unit for long.

An adult bed bug can survive in the environment of the storage unit by slowing down its metabolism. 

However, in the case of newborn nymphs, they require blood for the functioning of their organs, which becomes very difficult to obtain.

How to Find Bed Bugs In Storage Unit?

Bed bugs are very small, oval-shaped insects. They can easily hide inside thin crevices. Another disappointing thing is that their nymphs are almost white, which makes them very difficult to identify.

But there are some tools that you can use to make your job easier like:

Torch

If you want to find bed bugs in your storage unit, a flashlight will be a useful tool. It is cheap and easy to use.

You can use the flashlight of your smartphone. An adult bed bug is brown in color and on a darker surface, they are difficult to find. But if you use a flashlight it will make them more visible.

Ultraviolet Light

You should consider buying ultraviolet light to make your job easier if you can afford it.

These UV lights will make bed bugs more visible in the dark. The phosphors in the bed bug shell absorb UV rays and glow in the dark.

The evidence you need to get along with these assistive devices is:

• Bed bugs eggs.
• Stool.
• Shells of dead bed bugs.

However, you must act quickly when using these lights on bed bugs. This is because these insects ignore the light and will try to escape from one point to another.

But luckily, you can use some DIY to kill them.

Keep reading if you want to know the most effective and cheapest way to get bed bugs out of your storage unit.

How Do I Keep Bed Bugs Out Of My Storage Unit?

Despite the fact that many people say that bed bugs are difficult to eliminate. But there are some easy DIYs you can use to kill all the bed bugs from your storage unit instantly.

Alcohol Spray

Alcohol spray is one of the most effective ways to kill bed bugs. The ingredients in the alcohol spray rip apart the exoskeleton of these insects and kill them instantly.

If you are planning to buy a storage unit which has a lot of furniture like a closet, drawers, table and leather sofa.

Then you should use an alcohol spray as it can easily penetrate the cracks and crevices where bed bugs are hiding.

Also, all spray bottles have two modes “spray” and “stream”. Both of these methods are highly effective at killing the bed bugs in your storage unit.

Because if you use the “spray” mode, you can kill a bunch of bed bugs in one place. All liquid particles will be dispersed to a fine diameter that will kill most bed bugs easily and quickly.

You can use this mode on boxes, sofas, and tables where there are a lot of bed bugs at the same time.

If you find furniture or something that has a lot of cracks along with the cornerstone, it needs to be put in “stream” mode.

My God… this mod is like Sniper Gun…

Spray mode cannot penetrate deep into the crack, but stream mode can penetrate easily.

I use this mode when I see bed bugs on my leather couches. I spray it inside the joints and gaps.

Vacuum Cleaner

If you are allergic to chemical sprays, to get rid of your storage unit, you can use a vacuum cleaner.

I know this is a time-consuming process, but a few hours of work can easily make your storage unit bed bug free.

Remove only one item at a time and use the vacuum cleaner on high pressure. As we know, bed bug feet have very short hairs and hooks. They create a durable grip on any surface.

But when a vacuum cleaner is used on them, they are unable to maintain their grip.

It also helps you collect all the bed bugs and eggs from all the items. Remember, if all the bed bugs have been stored in one bag, and you think your work is over, then it is not.

Because bed bugs are very good crawlers. They can easily pop out of the bag and exit through the suction pipe.

That’s why it’s important to throw the bag in the trash so the bed bugs don’t come back.

Now you know how to find and eliminate bed bugs from your storage unit. But if you are buying used furniture at garage sales or you keep infected furniture in your garage,

So what can you do to prevent infection in your garage?

Well if you want to know then keep reading. We’re going to show you all the tried-and-tested ways to find and stop these bugs from spreading.

How Do Bed Bugs Get Into Your Garage?

Frankly, bed bugs will not choose to infect your garage. Although they are household pests, they will always choose your bedroom and living room because you spend most of your time there.

Because bed bugs need a constant supply of their hosts to feed on regularly. Whereas the garage is not a suitable place for these insects.

However, they can still enter your garage in two different ways.

The first possibility is if you have stored some items that are already infested with bed bugs.

Things like sofas, chairs, and mattresses that I mentioned earlier are the most commonly affected items that can carry bed bugs.

Second, if your garage is close to a room that has a serious bed bug infestation.

If bed bugs are present, they may crawl onto the floor or wall and make their way into the garage to find more places to lay eggs or mate.

Bed bugs can enter your garage in a few other ways, but the chances are slim such as they can spread through your car.

Yes, bed bugs can infest your car too. And, if you park your car in your garage, insects can crawl out of your car and look for other places.

The other is near your neighborhood. Well, it is very unusual but some people have also faced these issues.

Can Bed Bugs Survive In A Cold And Hot Garage?     

Bed bugs can survive in a cool or warm garage, but if the environment changes drastically, these insects may face a few problems.

In addition, the conditions in garages are very different than in your bedrooms. Because in your bedroom you can change the atmosphere at the press of a button.

Where To Find Bed Bugs In The Garage?

Well, bed bugs can live in any corner but the main place is furniture and other household items. However, there are other places as well such as:

Cardboard Box

Well, bed bugs wouldn’t like to live in cardboard. Unless you keep the box near an infected area.

These insects will climb to the surface of the board in search of new hosts.

Carpet

Bed bugs are not carpet insects. Many people think that bed bugs can attack carpets as well but they cannot.

However, if you have a carpet and your bed is heavily infested with these insects, you may also find some bed bugs in your carpet.

Many people store their unused carpet in the garage. And, if you have bed bugs in your garage, carpet is perfect for this pest.

How To Kill And Prevent Bed Bugs In Your Garage?      

Wrap Things Up

Well, if you decide to store your infected furniture and other items. Then you should wrap them in plastic so they don’t spread.

Also, just want to tell you that bed bugs will not die in plastic but will get stuck in one place.

You can use ordinary plastic wrap. One will cost you around $15 to $30, plus you can find more options on Amazon. After wrapping the furniture, do not open it for about 3 months to 5 months.

Throw Away Unused Furniture/Objects

It is recommended that you use plastic wrap if you think the furniture or object is worth your effort. Otherwise, you should just throw them away or throw them in the trash.

Because keeping all those infected items in your garage is useless. Since they will occupy a lot of space and take a lot of time.

Using Essential Oil Spray

It may seem that, in the previous paragraph, I suggested using an alcohol spray, but for now I suggest using an essential spray.

The reason behind this is very simple and very useful for your health. Because when I used to deal with bed bugs, I always used an ethanol spray that contained 70 percent alcohol.

It can kill bed bugs and the smell can drive them away, but it is also harmful to humans. Especially for sinus patients.

My sister is a sinus patient so whenever I use ethanol spray she always faces a problem.

So if you want a natural solution, you should use an essential oil spray. These oils are extracted from plants and their strong smell can easily drive away bed bugs.

Also, if you want to use them after eliminating this pest, then essential oil will not harm your expensive household items.

The best essential oil for bed bugs is eucalyptus oil. However, you can make your own spray. Simply pour a little white vinegar into a bottle and spray it inside all the cracks and crevices.

Drying And Cleaning

If you want to say goodbye to all the bed bugs in your garage, drying and cleaning are some of the best tricks I’ve ever used.

It’s pretty simple, but yes, it does cost you some pennies around $164 on average, but let me be honest with you. It will give a new life to your household items like furniture.

Conclusion

Bed bugs can enter your garage and storage unit only if someone has put in infested objects such as sofas, mattresses, or other furniture.

But you can also eliminate them with dry cleaning, bed bug repellent spray, and a vacuum cleaner.

I hope the above information helps you say goodbye to bed bugs from storage and garage.

If you have more tips and tricks please let us know by commenting.

Till then enjoy a bed bug-free life.

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