Bedroom Pest Inspection Checklist

Inspect all four mattress corners and every seam — use a bright flashlight held at an angle; look for black spots, pale brown empty insect shells, and live insects (bed bug detection)

Check all headboard and bed frame joints, screw holes, and decorative grooves — scrape along crevices with an old credit card and inspect what comes out (daytime bed bug hiding spots)

Clear and clean the space under the bed thoroughly — do not store clutter and cardboard boxes under the bed; under-bed clutter provides undisturbed pest access routes and blocks routine inspection

Apply a thin layer of food-grade diatomaceous earth in wardrobe bottom edges, drawer bottom seams, and clothes hanger hook grooves — look for clothes moth larval cocoons (flat cocoons wrapped in silken webbing)

Store wool, silk, fur, and down-filled clothing in sealed garment bags or airtight plastic bins — clothes moth larvae feed exclusively on natural animal protein fibers

Inspect baseboard-to-wallpaper or baseboard-to-wall covering seams — look for gaps, tiny black insect droppings, or tiny silver insects (silverfish prefer damp crevices and are active at night)

Curtain track end cap interiors and curtain rod bracket recesses — these are common hiding spots for bed bugs and spiders; dismantle and clean periodically

Every morning while making the bed, check pillowcases and sheets for unexplained blood spots, rust-colored dots, or sesame-seed-sized black specks

Periodically shift your bed to a different position and clean the floor and baseboards underneath — do not let pests establish undisturbed populations in one spot for months

Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to clean the mattress surface, under-bed area, and bedroom carpet — HEPA filters trap insect eggs and allergens; do this at least once per week