How Do I Know if I Have Bed Bugs?
How do I know if I have bed bugs? Bed bugs can be particularly difficult to detect. The bed bug’s natural instinct is to hide from potential predators. Bed bugs generally prefer to be within 5 feet of a place that a host (you) sleeps or often sits.
In established infestations, there will typically be signs of fecal matter of the bed bug on the mattress, with a heavier concentration of fecal matter typically on the corners of the mattress and in folds of the mattress. Fecal matter looks similar to if someone has taken a black ball point pen and made a dot or dots along the effected area.
How Do I Know if I Have Bed Bugs? Look for exoskeletons
Another indication to look for is bed bug exoskeletons. Bed bugs shed their exoskeleton 5 times in their life as they mature and grow. These exoskeletons will likely be found in areas near common bed bug living quarters.
One thing that makes it difficult to detect bed bugs is that they are nocturnal and will remain hidden during the day when you are around, only coming out at night to feed on you while you sleep. To see them in the daytime, you have to know what you’re looking for and where to look for them.
We are here to help you. If you think you have bed bugs, please call us immediately. We will walk you through the process of identifying the problem and getting rid of them. One of the most important parts of any bed bug treatment is inspecting your home for signs of infestation. However, since many people do not know what to look for, it can be difficult to identify an infestation before it gets out of control.
How Do I Know if I Have Bed Bugs? Life stages
The following information is intended to give you an idea of what bed bugs look like at various stages of their lives so that you can take steps to treat a potential infestation as early as possible.
- Bed bugs are small and flat, about 1/4 inch long when they first hatch from eggs.
- As nymphs grow, they shed their skins five times before reaching maturity and becoming adults. These cast skins, or discarded exoskeletons, are often a telltale sign of an infestation.
- Adult bed bugs have five immature nymph life stages before reaching full adulthood and becoming able to breed; this process takes about 4 months with regular feeding.
Look for bed bug droppings
If you have bed bugs look for blood spots on your sheets or mattress. These are dead bed bugs and/or bed bug poop (which looks like very small black dots). The live bed bugs will be in the seams, folds and tufts of your mattresses and box springs, as well as along the edges of your mattress covers. If you see the little black dots, you may want to consider calling a pest control company to confirm that they are indeed bed bug droppings. Bed bug droppings will be tiny, almost like poppy seeds. You might not see any at all, which may mean that the infestation is just beginning and hasn’t reached a population level where there are enough bed bugs to poo on your bed. Tiny dark spots of what look like poppy seeds on sheets and mattresses can be small blood spots from crushed bed bugs that were squished while you slept, or they can be dried droppings left behind by small nymphs or adults. Bed bugs look like apple seeds when they are first born (nymphs), and resemble adults except they are smaller and lighter in color.
The most common sign of a bed bug infestation is the appearance of small or large red bumps on your skin. These marks are actually caused by an allergic reaction to the saliva that is injected into your skin when a female bites you to feed on your blood. While they might be uncomfortable, they do not pose any serious health risk and typically disappear within hours or days as your body heals itself. However, these bumps are only one positive indicator of a bed bug infestation. If you begin to notice any of the other signs listed above, you should contact an expert for help with identifying the problem and determining how best to get rid of them.