Can Bed Bugs Climb Plastic?

Bed bugs are notoriously persistent insects that will get to your bed by any means possible. But, are they good climbers, and is there a way to prevent them from coming into your bed?

Waking up with bite marks and itchy skin is not pleasurable, so if you are looking for a way to get rid of bed bugs completely you are in the right place.

We will discover facts like can bedbugs climb plastic and use that knowledge to protect your home with cleverly designed interceptor traps. So, if you are ready to eliminate pests in your bed keep on reading.

Can Bed Bugs Climb Plastic?

Bed bugs are very resourceful and use their tiny legs wisely to climb on almost all surfaces in your home, however, they are not the best climbers out there. So, while you might see bugs walk on plastic surfaces, they can’t climb if it’s completely smooth.

Bed bugs use small hairs in their legs to grip the surface and crawl, considering they can’t fly or jump. But, even though bed bugs easily climb on rough surfaces such as wood, fabric, and walls they are not great when they encounter plastic.

Because plastic surfaces are smoother bed bugs don’t have enough grip to climb up.

The fact that there are surfaces bed bugs can't climb is very useful if you have an infestation and want to get rid of them fast. With cleverly designed and simple solutions such as bed bug interceptors you can use the fact that bed bugs are poor climbers on plastic. This trap will allow them to climb in because there is a rough surface on the outside, but they can’t escape because the plastic on the inside is smooth.

This is the most effective trap to use all around your home to detect bed bugs and help with the management of the infestation.

Can Bed Bugs Climb Metal?

Bed bugs easily walk on many surfaces, so you might be wondering “Can bed bugs climb on metal?”. You are not the only one who hopes that beds with metal frames are enough to keep your home bug-free, but is this true?

Bed bugs can't climb metal if it’s completely smooth.

Keep in mind that these pests are extremely small and even if a surface looks completely smooth to you it can still have enough rough spots for bugs to use and climb. So, can bed bugs crawl up the metal? Most likely not, but considering how persistent they are the bed bugs will find another way into your bed.

This is why it’s not enough to rely completely on metal bed frames and instead invest in high-quality glue traps for bed bugs and interceptors that will help you control the infestation. 

Surfaces Bed Bugs Can’t Climb

Bed bugs will always try to find a way to your bed, lured by your body heat and the carbon dioxide you exhale. Even though they are very persistent and climb walls, wood, and rough materials there are some surfaces they can’t climb.

So, even if the answer to questions such as “Can bed bugs travel on plastic?” is yes, there are some kinds of plastic that will disable them from moving around.

Keep in mind that the surface needs to be very smooth and vertical to be effective on bed bugs. Once they come across barriers that are not climbable they will find another route or if you placed the interceptors they will stay there until you throw them out.

How to Stop Bed Bugs?

Now that we know bed bugs on metal and smooth plastic are not able to climb to your bed, we can use the knowledge and put it into practice to eliminate the pests for good. If you want to stop bed bugs and make your home and bed pest-free here are a few suggestions:

To assess the infestation, confirm the presence of bed bugs, and manage them you need to invest in high-quality traps. The best and most efficient traps for bed bugs are interceptors and glue traps.

Make sure the traps you are using are eco-friendly and pesticide-free to protect your family and pets. 

Place an interceptor trap under each leg of the bed, and add a few glue traps on the floor or even between the mattress and the frame to catch all the bed bugs. This way you can be sure that any pests coming into your bed will be stopped and eliminated quickly.

While you can find bed bugs on metal, wood, and walls, they can also hide in the clothes, towels, and sheets. So, if you are determined to end the infestation you need to wash everything with hot water and detergents that will kill the bed bugs.

The temperature of the water needs to be higher to kill all the bugs and eggs, and the detergent you choose should be strong enough to eliminate bugs, but gentle for your skin. So, always go for high-quality and tested detergents that don’t contain any toxins or irritants.

While cleaning the bedroom and using the traps to capture all the pests you should spray all the surfaces with the bug-killing spray. Some amazing sprays on the market are safe for your family and pets, but deadly for the pests.

Vacuuming the mattress is also recommended because the bed bugs and the eggs they lay can be found in all the crevices and holes. So, combine all the methods for the best results.

Bed bugs can hide in your mattress and pillows so you should use protective covers on both. This way you will have a good night's sleep and wake up without any bite marks and itchy skin.

This is also one of the reasons to place a few glue traps on the edge of the bed or mattress and capture the pests that are hiding there.

If you want to be sure the bed bugs have no place to hide you can add another layer of protection by using the Diatomaceous Earth Powder. Simply pour some powder into the DE duster and use the nozzle to get to hard-to-reach places.

Bed bugs are flat and small, so they can hide in walls and cracks. This is why dusting them with the Diatomaceous Earth Powder will have the best effects when combined with all the steps mentioned above.

FAQs

Can Bed Bugs Crawl on Plastic?

Depending on the surface some bed bugs can crawl on the plastic if it’s rough enough. 

This is one of the reasons why interceptors have smooth plastic on the inside disabling the bed bugs from crawling out, but rough plastic on the outside to lure them in. Some people even add a small amount of talcum powder to make the surface even smoother and prevent any bugs from escaping the interceptor trap.

Can Bed Bugs Climb Plastic Bags?

Many people wonder “Can bed bugs climb plastic wrap or plastic bags?”. This is not the preferred surface for bed bugs, but if the plastic is crumbled and they can get a grip they will use it to climb.

So, even though it’s rare bed bugs will use any surface or clutter under your bed to get to their prey or in this case you while sleeping.

Can Bed Bugs Climb Glass?

Bed bugs walk on metal surfaces but glass is usually too smooth to climb. Most of the time bed bugs will avoid man-made materials to go over, so glass, metal, and plastic are not their first choice when it comes to relocating in search of food.

However, bed bugs are resourceful and will find any small surface to climb into the bed and even hide there until they need to feed.

Can Bed Bugs Climb Walls?

Yes, bed bugs can climb walls, and wood and most find a way to get to your bed. So, if you want to prevent infestation you need to place interceptors under each bed leg, move your bed frame away from the wall and clear all the clutter under the bed.

In addition, the sheets and decorative covers on your bed need to stay off the floor because the bed bugs can use them to climb.

Final Thoughts

Bed bugs are not able to fly or jump, but they mastered climbing on almost all surfaces to get to your bed. Considering how resourceful they are, it’s good to know that they are still not the best climbers when it comes to smooth surfaces such as plastic, metal, and glass.

These pesky pests will, however, use any rough surface to climb into your bed and stay there until it’s time to feed.