Signs That You Have Bed Bugs

If there is one pest problem that most homeowners do not want to deal with it is bed bugs. There is something really disturbing about the thought of bed bugs crawling on you while you sleep at night. Even if you do all the right things when you visit hotels and check your bags for bed bugs when you get home, there is still a chance that your home could become infected. It doesn't mean that you are unclean or unhygienic. Bed bugs are a very infectious parasite and difficult to get rid of. Because they are such a problem, homeowners should know the signs of bed bugs so they can discover an infestation as early as possible.

Bed bug bites are the easiest bed bug sign to look for. There are a few things that will distinguish a bed bug bite from the more common mosquito bite. First, mosquitoes usually do not bite in the winter so if you notice small red bumps that itch during the cold months, then you probably have been bitten by bed bugs. In addition, mosquito bites usually only show up one at a time, but bed bugs bites show up in straight lines or small clusters. The bed bug will bite you several times and they do not move far in between bites.

Bites might not be the best bed bug sign because not every homeowner reacts the same to bed bug bites. Some people may not develop the red bumps and might not experience any itching. If that is the case, evidence of being bitten can be found in your sheets where there might be small dots or smears of blood. These blood stains will be very small, though so you might not notice them either. Whether you see bites or blood, once you have made this discovery it means that your bed bug infestation is quite advanced and a pest control service is your next step.

If you want a sign that you have bed bugs before you notice any bites, then you need to start inspecting your bed and the floor and furniture around it. Bed bugs leave their excrement in seems and corners so this is the best bed bug sign to look for. When you are changing your sheets, take a few minutes to look at all the seams in both your mattress and box spring along with the base boards behind the bed and the legs of all the furniture pieces to look for brown and black specs. The bed bug fecal matter is what most professional pest control companies look for when they are inspecting a home for bed bugs.

One last sign of bed bugs that you can look for is the bed bug itself. They do not get caught out in the open very often, but sometimes you might find one in your sheets. They are about the size of an apple seed and shaped in a similar way. They are small enough that they often escape our notice or are mistaken for some flint or something innocuous.