If you suspect you have bed bugs, the first thing to do is confirm it, because a lot of other household pests get blamed for bites that were never theirs. Given we have fought bed bugs for years, we know how to check for them and identify them by their signs and their habits. Let us run through what to look for, so you can work out whether you have a bed bug problem or another pest to contend with.
What They Look Like
The good thing about bed bugs, one of the only positives really, is that they have a very particular look. Bed bugs have a small, flat body, whereas most other bug species found indoors are rounder and have a less flattened-down look. In terms of size, a bed bug is going to be something in the region of 4 to 5mm when it has reached full maturity, which puts it roughly in line with a seed you would find in most forms of seeded fruit, such as an apple. Colour is a little less reliable, as younger bed bugs tend to be more translucent or tan, and turn the reddish-brown shade most of us expect only once they have fed.
The Signs They Leave Behind
You will often notice the evidence before you notice a live bug. Spotting bed bugs involves knowing what they look like, but it also revolves around being able to spot their patterns, such as the stains they leave, and looking out for molted skins and eggshells. As bed bugs age from being a nymph into an adult, they leave behind their old casings, so you might start noticing some unsightly translucent casings lying around. Alongside those, look for small rusty or reddish blood stains on the sheets and clusters of tiny dark spots, which are the droppings the bugs leave where they gather.
Where To Look
Bed bugs give themselves away by where they choose to sit. When they are not feeding, bed bugs usually congregate near or at the bed of their hosts, on the mattress itself, and on the box springs. Start there, along the mattress seams and piping, then work outwards to the bed frame, the headboard, and any nearby crack or crevice. It is worth checking the home regularly, especially the beds, furniture, closets, carpet, and blankets, since the earlier you catch them the smaller the job is.
What To Do If You Find Them
If your search turns up live bugs or their signs, there are a couple of home steps worth taking straight away while you arrange proper treatment. Make a habit of carrying out a weekly vacuuming session around your bed, and run your bedding and nearby clothing through a hot wash and a high-temperature dryer. These steps lower the numbers, though they will not reach the source on their own, which is where professional treatment comes in.
Now that you know how to identify bed bugs, it should be easier to tell whether you have them. If you do, our Florida specialists can handle them for you, so you can contact us today for a free consultation.
From our recorded calls
These are real calls. The answers are word for word. The questions are our summary of what was asked, because callers do not record as clearly as we do. We never publish a caller's surname, address, phone number or price.
Could an inspection miss them?
They are extremely hard to find. And if it is an early infestation, sometimes our inspections come up negative.
Answered by Dori on a call,
Are they only in the bed?
Bedbugs will nest behind baseboards and in wall outlets where you can't see them. They don't just hang out on the bed. They'll be around living room furniture, bedrooms, things like that.
Answered by Dori on a call,
Is a fabric headboard a problem?
They do love to nest on fabric headboards. It is just one of their favorite things to do.
Answered by Julie on a call,
What callers told us
I had just was doing laundry yesterday and I lifted up a corner of my bed and I noticed like what looked like dirt on the corner, and then maybe some rust colored stuff. So I don't know if I definitely do have bed bugs, so I kind of wanted to confirm if I do.
I can tell you, I can guarantee you, I got them, and I know what they are, and that's not a question. I know them, they have that smell to them, which my nose twitches when I smell it.
In our own words
This is our own crew, on recorded calls. Word for word. Each one says who was talking and when.
If you've seen any black spotting, it would look like somebody took a black ballpoint pen and kind of dotted it around, and it's usually in little clusters, those dots. That's bed bug feces. So what you want to do is check very, very carefully and then take pictures, really good close-up pictures of anything that you see that you can't identify.
Take the sheets off, and if you look around the corners of the bed or the mattress, a lot of times you'll see these black spots.
The key is that they're really good at hiding. So they can hide in your vents. They could hide in your electrical outlets. They could hide in your bed frame.
