Sooo you might not want to hear this, but there are definitely bugs hiding in your home, whether you see them or not. Normally it’s no big deal, a few beneficial spiders here or there. But sometimes you’re not so lucky, and your hidden bugs are a costly problem just waiting to happen. Food, water, and shelter—these are the reasons bugs move indoors, and because our homes provide all three, every household has at least a few critters crawling around somewhere.
But if you're not seeing these bugs, where are they hiding? Read on for 10 surprising yet also common places bugs hide inside our homes.
1. HOT WATER HEATER
Three things bugs really like: moisture, warmth, and a dark place to hide. Whether it’s in your basement or a designated closet, your hot water heater provides all three. We suggest periodically checking around and under your water heater tank for signs of millipedes, centipedes, pillbugs, silverfish, spiders, crickets, ants, and more. If you notice any leaks or unexpected moisture during your inspection, clean it up immediately and repair the issue to avoid future problems.
Solution: To kill any bugs you discover, give them a quick spray with Cedarcide Original. To repel additional bugs, spray baseboards, shelving, and known trouble spots also with Cedarcide Original every other week, or as needed.
2. SHOWER AND BATHROOM
Bathrooms provide not only water but also warmth, and that added humidity can attract all sorts of creepy crawlies. It's good practice to periodically check your bathroom’s cabinetry and drains for signs of cockroaches, crickets, silverfish, and ants. If you’re currently struggling with roaches or ants, make sure to dry both your bathroom and your shower’s flooring after each use. Entire populations of roaches and ants can often sustain themselves on just this excess water alone.
Solution: If you’re experiencing heavy pest traffic, hand-drying your shower and sinks after each use may be necessary. For less severe problems, simply spray any bugs you spot with family-safe Cedarcide Original. For prevention, spray suspected entry points and known hangouts every other week to repel bugs from the area.
3. APPLIANCES
The next time you’re doing a deep clean, make sure to pull your appliances out from the wall, too. Not only does grime collect here that can cause pest issues later, but there’s a good chance bugs have already set up shop there. Crumbs, darkness, privacy, and often moisture are in great supply behind and under appliances like fridges and dishwashers, making them a common hideout for roaches, flies, ants, and other hungry insects.
Don’t be surprised if you find bugs inside your fridge, too—yep, you read that right: inside! It’s not uncommon for fruit flies and roaches to crawl inside your fridge, feast and breed for a few days, and then sneak out when you’re not looking.
Solution: Cleanliness is key. Periodically clean inside, outside, behind, and under your appliances to limit bug attractants like moisture, dirt, and food debris. A quick spray of non-toxic Cedarcide Original will take care of any bugs you come across in the process.
4. TRASH AND RECYCLING
It should come as no surprise that both trash and recycling bins are a popular gathering place for all sorts of bugs. The abundance of food and shelter invites not only flies, roaches, and ants, but also predatory bugs like spiders, sometimes even scorpions.
What's more surprising though, is that bugs might not just be hanging out in your garbage, they could be thriving and breeding there as well. In other words, your trash and recycling could be the primary source of your home’s pest problems, sustaining entire populations of hungry bugs hidden inside.
Solution: Taking your trash out often, switching to sealable bins, and cleaning those bins weekly should take care of any trash-dwelling pests you're struggling with.
5. JUNK DRAWERS
You know what bugs enjoy almost as much as food and water? Clutter. And your junk drawer is crammed full of it. In addition to cleaning your junk drawers at least annually, check it periodically for signs of spiders, roaches, ants, silverfish, and other unwanted guests.
Solution: Do yourself a favor and finally get around to cleaning out your junk drawers. Recycle or donate duplicate items and throw out those sauce packets and disposable utensils you should have dumped years ago. Keeping things organized and clean should do the trick.
6. LAUNDRY
Your laundry could be concealing some unknown, undesirable roommates. And we're not solely talking about dirty laundry either, but even clean clothes that you tend to pile before folding. Carpet beetles, silverfish, firebrats, roaches, crickets, moths and more are known to hide out in disorganized clothing and bedding. The scent of sweat, skin oils, spilled food and drinks can attract a wide array of interested insects just waiting to damage your favorite fabrics.
Solution: Stay up on your laundry and avoid piling clothes, bedding, and other textiles, even if they’re clean. Check fabrics for signs of bugs before storing them for the season and wash then as needed. Using bags or bins with airtight seals should shield your clothing from pest damage during the offseason. Check out these additional tips on How to Protect Clothing from Insect Damage.
7. ELECTRICAL OUTLETS
Your electrical outlets and outlet covers might be hiding more than just wiring. Ants, beetles, and dozens of other creepy crawlies are known to take up residence in these surprising locations. Look for small wood shavings and other signs of subtle wall damage—these are common symptoms of infested outlets.
Solution: Remove any covers you suspect might be hiding pests, carefully clean out the space, and repair or replace parts as needed.
8. HOUSEPLANTS
Before bringing home any new plant babies, inspect them for signs of bugs, like webbing, eggs, larva, and of course any adult insects. Surprisingly, houseplants are a common avenue for bugs to enter our homes. It’s a smart practice to quarantine any new houseplant additions apart from your other plants for at least a month after bringing them home. Not only will this save your other plants in case the new one contains damaging bugs, but it will also make it easier to monitor it for hidden pests.
Solution: Check out these quick reads on killing and repelling common houseplant pests!
Houseplant Pest Prevention: 5 Tips
How to Get Rid of Bugs in Houseplants
9. STUFFED ANIMALS
This one is chilling. Who would have thought the cute stuffed animals your children sleep and cuddle with might be host to a wide range of yucky critters? Carpet beetles, silverfish, firebrats, roaches, crickets, spiders, moths—any of these could be hiding inside or on the outside of your child's favorite teddy bear.
Solution: Wash frequently used stuffed animals at least once every few weeks and mist them with family-safe Cedarcide Original monthly to prevent future problems.
10. BOXES (old and new)
Both new and used cardboard is a huge attractant for countless insects, arachnids, and other crawling things, including scorpions, crickets, silverfish, and roaches.
Solution: Make the switch to sealable plastic boxes or bins and you should be covered.