Bed Bugs in Electronics: Can They Live in Your Laptop or TV, and What to Do

TL;DR

• Bed bugs can hide in electronics, but a device is a hiding spot, not a home. They feed only on blood (University of Kentucky), so they must crawl out to reach a sleeping person.
• Bugs in a device almost always point to an infestation in the bed, couch or room around it. Bedside electronics like clocks and phones are the most common electronic hiding spot.
• To check a device, you can unplug it, shine a flashlight into every vent, port and seam, then tap it over white paper and look for bugs, eggs or dark specks.
• Vacuum the outside and seal the device in a bag. Don't use home heaters (the US EPA calls them dangerous), freezing or sprays on electronics.
• Professional treatment is the most reliable fix because it treats the device with the room. During heat treatment, TVs and computers usually do not need to be removed (University of Kentucky).
• Need help? Get a quote from a recommended local exterminator through Pest Agent's referral form.

Bed bugs in electronics are rare but real: a laptop vent or the gap behind an alarm clock is dark and tight enough to hide them. Finding them there leaves you stuck, since the fixes that work on bedding, like hot water and a long tumble in the dryer, are off the table for anything with a circuit board. Home heaters and sprays are not a safe substitute either.

Ignoring the device is no better. A laptop shut in a closet for a few weeks can still hold live bugs, and a radio or clock on the night table can quietly bring them back into a bedroom that has just been treated.

How much effort a device deserves comes down to one distinction: an electronic gadget can shelter bed bugs, but it cannot feed them.

Can Bed Bugs Live in Electronics?

Bed bugs can hide in electronics, but a device is a hiding spot, not a home. Bed bugs feed only on blood (University of Kentucky), so a bug tucked inside a laptop or clock still has to crawl out to reach a sleeping person, then crawl back to hide. That is why bed bugs in electronics almost always point to an infestation in the bed, couch or room around the device, not in the device alone.

Why Bed Bugs Hide in Devices

Bed bugs hide in devices because their flat bodies fit into gaps most people never think about. According to the University of Kentucky, they can squeeze into very small crevices, and Health Canada notes they hide in very small spaces, including electrical outlets and night tables. The cooling vents, ports, seams and screw holes of electronics offer exactly that kind of dark, tight shelter.

Location matters more than the device itself. HealthLink BC explains that bed bugs prefer places where they can hide and feed regularly, which means anything within a short walk of where you sleep or sit for long periods. For a full list of hiding places beyond electronics, see our guide on where bed bugs hide in your home.

How Long Can Bed Bugs Survive in a Device?

Bed bugs can survive in a device for a long time without feeding. Health Canada says they can live from several weeks to up to a year and a half without a meal, and the University of Kentucky reports that in heated buildings they typically survive for months unfed. So an unused laptop in a closet does not become safe just because nobody has slept near it for a few weeks.

How Do Bed Bugs Get Into Electronics?

Bed bugs get into electronics by crawling in from nearby furniture or by riding along on belongings. Health Canada notes they are easily moved from room to room on infested objects, and HealthLink BC adds that they can hitch rides on clothing, backpacks, luggage and books. A laptop that sits on an infested mattress, a tablet stored in a bag with infested clothes, or a second-hand console can all carry them. Our guide on how bed bugs spread explains the other routes.

Which Electronics Do Bed Bugs Get Into?

Bed bugs get into the electronics that spend the most time close to where you sleep or sit. A device on your nightstand is a much more likely hiding spot than a desktop computer in a home office far from any bed.

Bed Bugs in Bedside Electronics

Bedside electronics are the most common electronic hiding spot for bed bugs. Health Canada's room check suggests taking a close look at phones and clocks, along with electrical outlets and light switches, and the University of Kentucky lists clocks, phones, televisions and smoke detectors among the places bed bugs can hide. Some pest control companies, such as Terminix, single out alarm clocks and bedroom speakers because they sit right next to the bed, and Rutgers Cooperative Extension has reportedly published a short video of bed bugs living inside a radio.

Bed Bugs in a Laptop

Bed bugs in a laptop usually come from using or charging it on an infested bed or couch, or from carrying it in a backpack with infested items. The most likely spots are the cooling vents, the hinge, the gaps around the keyboard and the space under the rubber feet. A laptop is still a short-term hiding spot: the bugs inside need to crawl out to feed, so they are almost always found together with bugs in the bed or couch nearby.

Bed Bugs in a TV

Bed bugs in a TV are most likely when the TV is in the bedroom, close to the bed. The University of Kentucky names televisions among bed bug hiding spots, and the back panel vents, wall mount and stand can give them plenty of cracks to tuck into. A TV in the living room is mainly at risk if the couch or recliner in front of it is infested.

Bed Bugs in Gaming Consoles

Bed bugs in gaming consoles can hide in the same features as other devices: vents, ports and seams, which Terminix describes as large enough for bed bugs to crawl into. Consoles and controllers that sit on or next to an infested couch or bed are the ones at risk.

Check the cables, the console stand and the shelf underneath too, since those cracks and corners near the couch are just as easy for bed bugs to use.

How Do You Check for Bed Bugs in Electronics?

Checking for bed bugs in electronics means looking for the same signs you would find on a mattress, on and around the device. Start with the bed and the furniture nearest the device: if they are clean, your electronics are very unlikely to be the problem.

What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?

Bed bugs are small, flat, oval insects. Adults are about the size of an apple seed, 5 to 7 mm long according to the US EPA, and Health Canada says adults can reach 10 mm. They are brown and turn blood red after feeding. Young bed bugs (nymphs) are smaller, as small as about 1.5 mm, and paler. Eggs are white, about 1 mm long, and usually very hard to see. Bed bugs cannot fly or jump, so they reach your devices by crawling or by being carried.

Signs of Bed Bugs on a Device

The signs of bed bugs on a device are the same ones you would find on bedding:

• Dark spots or stains on the casing, in the vents or on the surface under the device. The University of Kentucky explains these are the bugs' dried excrement.
• Shed skins, the light brown, empty shells left behind as bed bugs grow.
• Tiny white eggs, often tucked into seams and corners.
• Live or dead bed bugs, especially in vents, ports and under stands.

You may read that bed bugs give off a sweet, musty smell. The University of Kentucky says the odour should not be relied on, so do not use it to judge a device.

How to Inspect a Device

Inspecting a device for bed bugs takes a few minutes and a good light:

1. Turn the device off and unplug it.
2. Shine a flashlight into every vent, port, seam, hinge and screw hole.
3. Check the back panel, the stand or feet, and any case or sleeve.
4. Hold the device over a sheet of white paper and tap it gently, then look for bugs, eggs or dark specks on the paper.
5. Inspect the cables, power bar, shelf, nightstand or surface the device sits on.

If you find bugs in or on a device, check the rest of the room carefully, starting with the mattress seams. Our guide to the signs of a bed bug infestation shows what to look for.

How Do You Get Bed Bugs Out of Electronics?

Getting bed bugs out of electronics relies on vacuuming and isolation, not heat or sprays, while the real treatment targets the room. Devices cannot go through the washer or dryer like bedding, so the goal is to remove the bugs you can reach without damaging the electronics.

Vacuuming a Device

Vacuuming removes the bed bugs and eggs you can reach on the outside of a device. Unplug it and use a crevice tool or soft brush attachment along vents, seams, ports and the surface underneath, without forcing anything into the openings. The University of Kentucky warns that bed bugs can survive being vacuumed, so Health Canada recommends letting the vacuum run for a bit afterwards, and the US EPA advises sealing the bag tightly and throwing it out right away in an outdoor garbage bin.

Sealing a Device in a Bag

Sealing a device in a bag keeps any bed bugs inside it from spreading while you deal with the room. Health Canada recommends light-coloured, sealed, heavy-duty plastic bags or plastic bins with secure lids, which can also make escaping bugs easier to spot. The US EPA says items that cannot be treated can be sealed in a bag or container and left there for up to a year. That is a long time, because Health Canada notes bed bugs can live up to a year and a half without feeding, so bagging works best for devices you can do without, such as a spare speaker or an old clock.

Why Home Heaters Are Risky for Electronics

Home heaters are risky for electronics because the heat that kills bed bugs is close to what many devices can handle. The US EPA says not to try killing bed bugs by raising your indoor temperature with a thermostat, propane space heater or fireplace, and Health Canada says heat treatments should be left to professionals. Even portable bed bug heaters are not always made for devices: the PackTite manual states its heater is not recommended for electronic devices, including computers, MP3 players and cameras. Terminix also warns that the temperatures needed to kill eggs and young nymphs may cause irreparable damage to electronics, and Penn State Extension says 131°F or above kills all stages.

Why Freezing Is Not Recommended for Electronics

Freezing is not recommended for electronics, since health authorities do not appear to give guidance on freezing devices, and pest control companies such as Terminix warn that extreme cold can damage them. Freezing guidance from Health Canada and the US EPA is generally written for fabrics and other belongings, not for laptops or phones. Stick to vacuuming and bagging, and leave the device question to a professional if the device is valuable.

Why You Should Not Spray Electronics

You should not spray electronics with insecticide or any liquid. Health Canada says to use only pesticides registered by Health Canada and only as directed on the label, and HealthLink BC adds that you should never use any treatment on people, pets or bedding unless the label specifically says to. No bed bug spray is meant to go inside a device, and Cryonite's maker points out that liquid sprays and foggers carry a risk of corrosion and electrical problems in equipment. Keep sprays, foggers and homemade mixes away from your electronics, children and pets.

Professional Treatment for Electronics

Professional treatment is the most reliable way to deal with bed bugs in electronics, because it treats the device together with the room it came from. Health Canada strongly recommends hiring a licensed pest control professional for a bed bug infestation. During a professional heat treatment, the air is raised to about 120 to 130°F (about 49 to 54°C), and the University of Kentucky notes that televisions, computers and other electronics usually do not need to be removed, unlike aerosol cans, plants and medications.

Some companies also offer Cryonite, which sprays carbon dioxide snow that kills bed bugs by rapid freezing, according to Purdue University Extension. Its manufacturer markets it as safe for electronics, saying it leaves no moisture or residue. Ask any company you hire how it handles your devices, and read whether bed bug heat treatment damages electronics before your treatment day. Our guides on bed bug heat treatment and how to prepare for bed bug treatment cover the rest. When you are ready, you can get a quote from a recommended local exterminator through Pest Agent's referral form.

How Do You Keep Bed Bugs Out of Your Electronics?

Keeping bed bugs out of your electronics comes down to where you use, store and carry them. These habits matter most if you have had bed bugs before, live in an apartment building or travel often.

Keep Devices Off the Bed

Keeping devices off the bed removes the main way bed bugs reach them. Charge your phone and laptop on a hard surface like a desk or dresser rather than on the mattress, and keep the nightstand clear of clutter, as Health Canada generally recommends, so you can spot bugs and dark spots quickly. Remember that bed bugs also hide in floors and rugs, as explained in our guide to bed bugs in carpet.

Travel Habits

Travel habits protect your laptop, tablet and chargers as much as your clothes. Health Canada advises keeping your luggage off the floor and the bed, on the luggage rack or in the bathtub, and taking a close look at phones, clocks, outlets and light switches in your room. Keep your laptop in a closed bag when you are not using it, and check it before you bring it back inside your home.

Second-Hand Electronics

Second-hand electronics deserve a careful look before they come inside. Health Canada warns to be very cautious with second-hand or refurbished items, which the Government of Québec says bed bugs can infest. Inspect used TVs, speakers, consoles and clocks with a flashlight outside or in the garage before bringing them in. For more habits that keep bed bugs out, read our guide on how to prevent bed bugs, or visit the bed bug hub.