Ive heard from somewhere they dont hide on metal, and that they wouldnt hide on a metal bed frames
Bed bugs like hide-aways such as tiny nooks and crevices that are dark and stationary. The will seek harbourages that are close to their food source when at rest, e.g. you sleeping. Their preference tends towards fabric, wood or even paper. Other substrates, e.g. bamboo or rattan headboards is like multi-unit housing for bed bugs. Metal tubular bed frames were initially thought to be difficult surfaces for bed bugs to clamber about on...not so in reality. What feels smooth to our touch is actually rough and offers foot holds for bed bugs to move about. Metal bed frames also make detection difficult as you can not see inside the tubes. I would not discard a metal frame because of these characteristics, but I would install passive bed bug monitors - we recommend the BB Alert Passive Monitor - as an early warning system. Ken Hando. Disclaimer: I own and operate a K9 bed bug detection service, Bed Bug Mutts, in Vancouver BC Canada.
They rather like burrowing into the woodwork surrounding beds when they're not nomming tasty manflesh. It doesn't even have to be the bed frame, it could be any wood in the vicinity. It's one reason it's such a pig to get rid of the blighters. I don't think they'd be very good on metal. You'd see them apart from anything else.
