How Do You Know If You Have Bed Bugs?
An early outbreak of bed bugs goes undetected due to the lack of bugs and eggs. In addition, they are nocturnal pests, feeding mostly at night and hiding during the day. However, they leave behind signs of their presence. This makes it easy to miss the beginning signs of a bed bug infestation…unless you know EXACTLY what to look for and where to look! The first thing you should do is inspect your bed, where you sleep. As bed bugs feed on human blood, you will find bed bug signs first in the bed.
Sheets, pillowcases, and mattresses show small dark brown or black fecal stains
- Fecal matter from bed bugs is the size of a small dot, and it usually bleeds into the fabric and looks like smeared ink.
- Bed bugs have taken your blood as a meal, digested it, and excreted it!
Bites/welts that are red and itchy
- There may be itchy red welts on exposed areas of the skin, such as the face, arms, shoulders, hands, back, or anywhere else that is not covered while lying down.
Until you or a family member is actually bitten and swelling appears around the bite marks, you might not realize you have bed bugs. However, not every person reacts to bed bug bites or develops itchy and inflamed skin.
Additionally, it isn’t uncommon for two people to share a bed and only one shows signs of bites.
As bed bug bite symptoms vary from person to person, and because their bites can look similar to those of other insects, such as mosquitoes, it’s impossible to tell for sure if the welt is caused by a bed bug.
It is also possible to confuse some skin conditions and infections with insect bites. Even if you don’t find any other signs of bed bugs or other pests, be sure to keep this in mind.
Bedsheets and pajamas stained with blood
- When you roll onto an insect in your sleep, the insect is crushed and has not digested its blood meal, resulting in bloodstains.
- Additionally, if you bleed after the bedbug has finished feeding, you might see stains on your PJs.
Shells and skins of bed bugs cast/shed
- During the 5 molting stages before they mature, nymphs leave behind eggshells and shed skin (exoskeleton).
- As with the bed bug, the shed skins are translucent and will be of different sizes depending on the stage of growth.
A small, flat, reddish-brown bed bug and its egg
- Additionally, look for any live bed bugs you might see crawling around, which is unlikely during the day or in the early stages of an infestation.
As they are very small at only 1 mm in size and pearly white, the eggs are hard to spot. Clusters of eggs are laid but they can also be laid singly. They are usually found onthe mattress seams, the box spring, and behind the headboard.
The question of whether bed bugs crawl on walls and ceilings is asked a lot. The answer is yes, but only after the infestation has become more established.
To find bed bugs and their eggs, always inspect the corners of mattress seams and along the edges of mattress piping for signs of fecal matter and bloodstains, and also for bed bugs and their eggs.
Can I Get Rid of Bed Bugs on My Own?
An infestation can be more effectively treated in its early stages. As a result, if you have bed bugs, then you should deal with them right away before they become established.
You now have two options:
Option 1: do your own pest control and treat the bed bugs yourself, or;
Option 2: call in a licensed pest control exterminator who is experienced in dealing with bed bug infestations.
The Bug Guys conveniently located in San Angelo have been destroying bed bugs in Texas homes for decades. With knowledge and experience under their belts, the team will properly and effectively rid your home of all bed bugs – guaranteed. Feel free to call today to get a free estimate on services.