Bed Bugs in Bathroom: Can They Live There and What to Do Next

TL;DR

• Bed bugs can survive in a bathroom for a while, but they rarely live there. They tend to stay close to a sleeping person to feed.
• One bed bug in the bathroom often means more nearby, most likely in a bedroom, on a couch someone sleeps on, or in a neighbouring unit. Check the bedroom first.
• Bed bugs do not live or breed in toilets, sinks or drains. Insects coming out of a drain are usually drain flies or cockroaches.
• Most bathroom bugs are not bed bugs: silverfish, cockroaches and drain flies are often drawn to moisture. A bed bug is flat, oval and usually brown, about 5 to 7 mm long as an adult (US EPA), and it cannot fly.
• Wash towels, bath mats, robes and the hamper contents in hot water, then dry them on the hottest setting. Bed bugs die at 50°C (Health Canada).
• Need help? Get a quote from a recommended local exterminator through Pest Agent's referral form.

Bed bugs in a bathroom are a misleading find, since the bug on the bath mat is rarely where the problem lives. It most likely came from somewhere people sleep, riding in on a towel or a robe, or crawling along a pipe from the next room or the next unit.

The costly mistake is treating the wrong room. Scrubbing the tub does little to a bed bug hiding in a mattress seam, and plenty of bugs near a sink are not bed bugs at all: silverfish, cockroaches and drain flies all favour damp rooms.

A bed bug can survive a stretch in a bathroom, yet the room fails almost every test a bed bug uses to choose a home.

Can Bed Bugs Live in a Bathroom?

Bed bugs can survive in a bathroom for a while, but they rarely live there, because they need to stay close to a sleeping person to feed. According to Health Canada, bed bugs prefer places where they can hide easily and feed regularly, like sleeping areas. A bathroom gives them neither a sleeping host nor the fabric and wood they like to hide in.

Why Bathrooms Are a Poor Home for Bed Bugs

Bathrooms are a poor home for bed bugs because nothing in them matches what bed bugs need. Bed bugs come out at night to feed, attracted by the carbon dioxide people breathe out (Health Canada), and nobody sleeps in the bathroom. The surfaces work against them too. Entomologists at the University of Kentucky note that bed bugs have an affinity for wood and fabric more than metal or plastic, and UF/IFAS explains that bed bug traps can work because bed bugs are poor climbers on smooth surfaces. Porcelain, glazed tile and enamel are about as unwelcoming as it gets.

How Bed Bugs Get Into a Bathroom

Bed bugs get into a bathroom in two ways: you carry them in, or they crawl in. HealthLink BC notes that bed bugs can hitch rides on clothing, backpacks, luggage and books, and Health Canada says they are easily moved from room to room on infested objects. A robe, a pile of pyjamas or a towel that spent the night on the bed can bring one in.

Bed bugs can also crawl quickly over floors, walls and ceilings, and move between rooms and floors through cracks and openings (University of Kentucky). In apartment buildings, the City of Toronto warns that they can travel from unit to unit along pipes, electrical wiring and other openings, and bathrooms are full of pipes. Our guide on how bed bugs spread explains these routes in more detail.

What One Bed Bug in the Bathroom Means

One bed bug in the bathroom usually means there are more nearby, most likely in a bedroom, on a couch someone sleeps on, or in a neighbouring unit. It does not always mean a large infestation, but it does mean you should look. Bed bugs can live from several weeks to a year and a half without feeding, according to Health Canada, so waiting for the problem to go away on its own rarely works. If you have only seen one bug, read what to do if you found one bed bug.

Can Bed Bugs Live in Water or Drains?

Bed bugs do not live in water or drains. They are not water insects: they feed only on blood and hide in dry cracks and fabric. They do not breed in sink, shower or tub drains, and nothing you pour down a drain will touch a bed bug problem. If you see small insects coming out of a drain, they are far more likely to be drain flies, which often breed in the slimy buildup inside drains (Penn State Extension), or cockroaches.

Where Do Bed Bugs Hide in a Bathroom?

Bed bugs hide in a bathroom in the same tight, dry spots they use elsewhere, favouring fabric and wood over tile and porcelain. Their flat bodies let them squeeze into very small spaces, so check these places with a flashlight.

Bathroom Textiles

Bathroom textiles are among the most likely places to find a bed bug in a bathroom. Look along the folds and seams of towels, bath mats, robes and anything hanging on a hook behind the door, especially items that also spend time in the bedroom.

Laundry Hampers

Laundry hampers are a common bathroom hiding spot because they hold sheets, pillowcases and pyjamas straight from the bed. Fabric, wicker and wooden hampers give bed bugs plenty of folds and joints to hide in. Check the seams, the bottom and the underside of the lid.

Baseboard Gaps

Baseboard gaps are on Health Canada's list of places to check, along with mouldings, trim and window frames. In a bathroom, run a flashlight along the gap where the baseboard meets the floor and the wall, and around the door casing.

Electrical Faceplates

Electrical faceplates on outlets and light switches can hide bed bugs, and Health Canada advises taking a close look at them. A loose faceplate leaves a gap into the wall, which is also a route between rooms.

Pipe Openings

Pipe openings under the sink and behind the toilet are worth checking because the gap around a pipe leads straight into the wall. In apartment buildings, these are among the openings bed bugs can use to move between units (City of Toronto).

Behind Mirrors

Behind mirrors, framed pictures and other wall hangings is another spot on Health Canada's checklist, together with peeling wallpaper and cracks in plaster. For the full list of hiding places in the rest of your home, see our guide on where bed bugs hide, and if you suspect they are inside the walls, read about bed bugs in walls.

How to Tell Bed Bugs From Other Bugs in the Bathroom

Most bugs in a bathroom are not bed bugs: silverfish, cockroaches and drain flies are drawn to moisture, while bed bugs are mostly drawn to people. The University of Kentucky notes that bed bugs are often mistaken for cockroaches, carpet beetles and other household insects, so take a close look before you panic.

What Bed Bugs Look Like

Bed bugs are flat, oval and brown, about 5 to 7 mm long as adults, the size of an apple seed (US EPA). Health Canada notes that adults can reach 10 mm and turn a deeper red after feeding. Young bed bugs (nymphs) can be about 1.5 mm long and pale, translucent or yellowish, which makes them hard to see. Bed bugs have no working wings: they cannot fly or jump, they only crawl.

Silverfish

Silverfish are the classic bathroom bug. According to UC IPM, they are usually shiny, silver or pearl grey, about 1/2 inch (about 1.3 cm) long, wingless, with a body that tapers to 3 long, thin tail-like appendages. They live in damp, warm places, and you often see them in a bathtub or sink. They tend to scrape at paper and starchy materials rather than biting people. The fix is to keep the bathroom dry and well ventilated.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches tend to like bathrooms because of the warm, damp conditions, and they are most active at night, according to Health Canada. The German cockroach, common in Canadian homes, is usually about 1.3 to 1.6 cm long, tan to light brown, with two dark parallel streaks behind the head. Unlike bed bugs, cockroaches run fast and can come from drains and pipe openings. Our guide on how to stop cockroaches coming up the drain covers that problem.

Drain Flies

Drain flies (also called moth flies) are tiny, fuzzy, moth-like flies that rest on bathroom walls near the sink, tub or shower. Penn State Extension describes them as about one-third the size of a housefly, and explains that they can breed in the gelatinous buildup inside drains. Scrubbing the drain with a stiff brush, or using an enzyme or bacteria-based drain product, can help remove their breeding site. Bed bugs never fly, so a flying bug is not a bed bug.

Signs Bed Bugs Leave Behind

Bed bugs leave signs that other bathroom bugs do not. HealthLink BC lists bite marks, especially on the face, neck, arms and hands; dark spotting and staining on sheets, pillows, mattresses and clothing; and live or dead bed bugs with their shed skins. Tiny white eggs, about 1 mm long, may also be tucked into cracks. If you find dark spots on a towel or bath mat together with bites, treat it as a bed bug sign. A smell is not a reliable clue: the University of Kentucky says the odour is rarely noticeable except in extreme infestations. For the full checklist, see our guide to the signs of a bed bug infestation.

What to Do About Bed Bugs in the Bathroom

Dealing with bed bugs in the bathroom starts with confirming the bug, then searching the bedroom, because the bathroom is rarely where the problem starts. Follow these steps in order.

Catch the Bug

Catching the bug gives you proof. Slide it into a sealed plastic bag or a pill bottle without crushing it, then compare it with photos or show it to someone who can identify it. The City of Toronto advises asking your local health department or a pest control professional to confirm that you have bed bugs before you start treating.

Check the Bedroom First

Checking the bedroom first is the most important step, because that is where bed bugs usually settle. Use a flashlight to inspect the mattress seams, zippers and tufts, the box spring, the bed frame, behind the headboard, inside the nightstand, and any couch or recliner someone sleeps on. Look for the bugs, dark spots, shed skins and eggs.

Heat-Dry Bathroom Textiles

Heat-drying bathroom textiles kills any bed bugs hiding in them. Health Canada says bed bugs die at 50°C. Wash towels, bath mats, robes and the contents of the hamper in hot water with detergent, then dry them on the hottest setting. Put items that cannot be washed in a hot dryer, usually for 30 minutes or more. Carry everything to the laundry in a sealed plastic bag, and store clean items in sealed, light-coloured plastic bags or bins with secure lids until the problem is solved.

Vacuuming

Vacuuming removes bed bugs and eggs from cracks and edges. Health Canada recommends vacuuming daily, using a crevice nozzle along baseboards, around the toilet base and under the sink. Avoid handheld vacuums and vacuums with cloth bags or fabric hoses, which can become infested. When you finish, seal the vacuum bag in a plastic bag and put it in a bin with a lid. With a bagless vacuum, empty the canister into a plastic bag, seal it, throw it out right away and wash the container in hot, soapy water.

Steam Cleaning

Steam cleaning kills bed bugs on contact in cracks and seams. Health Canada notes that steam cleaners generally emit steam at a temperature of at least 100°C, well above the 50°C that kills bed bugs. In a bathroom, moisture is the catch: Health Canada advises using dry steam or a low-vapour steamer and moving it slowly, because excess moisture can lead to mould. Steam before you vacuum, since steam flushes bed bugs out of hiding.

Pesticides in the Bathroom

Pesticides in the bathroom call for extra care because of towels, toothbrushes and children's bath toys. Health Canada says to buy only products with a Pest Control Products (PCP) registration number on the label, and never to buy or use a product without one. Read the whole label, never apply a product to people, pets, towels or bedding unless the label says so, and never use pesticides on baby items or toys. Do not make homemade pesticides, and do not use ozone generators, which Health Canada warns against. HealthLink BC recommends leaving chemical treatments to qualified pesticide professionals. If you are comparing products, see our review of the best bed bug sprays.

Tell Your Landlord

Telling your landlord right away is what Health Canada advises if you rent, and you can also speak with a public health officer. In an apartment, bed bugs in the bathroom may come from a neighbouring unit, possibly through shared pipes, so the whole building may need to be checked. Our guide on bed bugs coming from your neighbours explains your next steps.

When to Call a Pest Control Professional

Calling a pest control professional is the step Health Canada strongly recommends for any bed bug infestation, using a licensed operator found through the Canadian Pest Management Association or your provincial association. Professionals may use liquid or aerosol sprays, insecticidal dusts, diatomaceous earth, carbon dioxide snow, steam and heat, and many Canadian companies offer visual inspections and trained detection dogs. Health Canada adds that treatment usually works only when physical control and prevention are used together, so expect to prepare your home. The City of Toronto notes that you may still see a few live bed bugs for up to 10 days after treatment, but a large number after two weeks may mean you should call back. If you want help, you can get a quote from a recommended local exterminator through Pest Agent's referral form.

How Do You Keep Bed Bugs Out of the Bathroom?

Keeping bed bugs out of the bathroom comes down to cutting off the two ways they arrive: on fabric you carry in, and through gaps in the walls. These habits also make bed bugs easier to spot early anywhere in your home.

Sealing Pipe Openings

Sealing pipe openings blocks the routes bed bugs use inside walls. Health Canada advises sealing cracks and crevices between baseboards and in walls, tightening loose electrical faceplates and checking entry points on walls you share with neighbours. The City of Toronto adds sealing any openings where pipes, wires or other utilities come into your home, paying special attention to walls shared between apartments. Caulk around the pipes under the sink and behind the toilet.

Laundry Habits

Laundry habits decide whether bed bugs travel into the bathroom. Keep a hamper with a smooth plastic lid, keep towels and robes off the floor, and do not move sheets or pyjamas through the bathroom if you suspect bed bugs in the bedroom. Clean up clutter too: Health Canada lists getting rid of clutter as a first prevention step.

Travel Habits

Travel habits matter because bed bugs often come home in luggage. When you check into a hotel, Health Canada's advice uses the bathroom in your favour: do not put your luggage on the floor or the bed, put it in the bathtub or on the luggage rack. When you get home, wash and dry your clothes on high heat. For more ways to protect your home, visit the bed bug hub.