How to Tell If You Have Bed Bugs in Your Home

Did you know that nearly 92% of pest infestation cases are caused by bed bugs? On top of that, almost 80% of homeowners can’t successfully identify bed bugs in their houses, although they might be bitten by them.

This raises the question – how to tell if you have bed bugs? Since these creatures are very small, how can you trace them and eliminate them for good? Finding bed bugs is not easy, but this article helps you identify the early signs of bed bugs infestation. Keep reading to find out how to find bed bugs in your home.

You See Rusty Spots on Your Bedding And/Or Mattress

Just like mosquitoes, bed bugs feed on human blood. If you have a bed bug infestation, chances are that your mattress and bed sheets have reddish or rusty spots here and there. They appear when small bed bugs are crushed on the mattress or bedding during your sleep.

You might crush them unintentionally while you turn over in bed or while you sit on the couch. In some cases, these red spots appear on your pillow, especially if bed bugs have bitten your shoulders or neck.

You See Pale Yellow Eggshells on the Mattress

Bed bugs tend to grow in size very quickly. While they grow, they release eggshells which are little pale yellow skins left behind after molting. If you see such eggshells on your bed, armchair, or couch then you probably have an infestation of bed bugs.

In some cases, these eggshells can appear in the middle of the bed or around the bed frame. You should wash the bedding immediately, but check under the bed and look for additional signs of bed bugs. You might find more eggshells on the floor, especially if a large colony of bed bugs lives in your bed frame.

You See Dark Spots on Your Bedding

This sign is really unpleasant, but it’s common in houses with a large infestation of bed bugs. Dark spots on a white bed sheet can be caused by bed bug excrement that gets absorbed by the fabric. These dark spots look like they have been made with a marker pen. It’s impossible to remove them without washing the entire bed sheet, so do that as soon as possible.

Similar to eggshells, you might find dark spots in the middle of the bed or at its edge, close to the frame. Most homeowners discover dozens of small dark dots on a clean bed sheet and this is a clear sign that you have a bed bug infestation. Contact pest control companies such as custombedbug to get rid of these uninvited guests right away.

You See Red Marks on Your Skin and They Are Usually Itchy

As mentioned earlier, bed bugs feed on blood. They bite you on your sleep and leave unpleasant red marks on your arms, shoulders, legs, and neck. They are mini-vampires, sucking sufficient blood in about 15 minutes to double their size. If you wake up in the morning and you see a lot of red marks on your arms or legs, chances are that they are caused by bed bugs.

Such red marks might also be caused by mosquitoes. However, bed bugs have a unique way of biting. They usually create multiple red spots in the same general area. Mosquitoes don’t do that, they usually get sufficient blood from a single bite.

You will probably not feel the bed bug bite because you’re sleeping. At the same time, they inject a numbing agent that prevents your body from detecting the bite. You’ll only discover them the next day when you feel like continuously scratching your back or arms.

You Experience an Uncomfortable Sleep and Don’t Know Why You Don’t Feel Rested

Remember that most people don’t know that they are bitten by bed bugs, at least not in the beginning. They might twist and turn in bed, wondering why their sleep is not restful and why they keep waking up every hour.

If you too haven’t experienced a good night’s sleep recently, check your bedding and bed frame. You might have been visited by these little vampires that are causing you an uncomfortable sleep. You probably have a very clean house, but you should know that it’s possible to get bed bugs from a hotel room, unintentionally taking them home with you in your clothes or suitcase.

You Feel a Musty, Unpleasant Odor in Your Bedroom

Bed bugs don’t smell bad. However, they release pheromones while they wander around in your room. If you have a large infestation with bed bugs, chances are that the pheromone concentration is so high that it gives the impression of a dirty locker room. Too many bed bugs can cause a musty odor in your bed and this should immediately prompt you to check the bed frame.

You Wake up With an Allergic Reaction for No Good Reason

Remember that when bed bugs and mosquitoes bite you, their saliva releases a numbing agent. This substance will prevent you from feeling the pain of the bite, so you don’t wake up from your sleep. In some cases, too much numbing agent inflicted by bed bugs can cause an allergic reaction. You probably don’t experience this in your sleep, but you’ll definitely feel it when you wake up.

The symptoms of this allergic reaction are pretty common to other allergies. You might sneeze, have an itchy nose, you might develop rashes and swollen lips or even vomit if the allergic reaction is strong enough. Talk to your doctor about your mysterious reaction but also check your bed frame.it might be possible that your allergy is caused by pesky bed bugs.

Now You Know How to Tell If You Have Bed Bugs

Hopefully, this article answered your original question – how to tell if you have bed bugs. The next step would be to carefully inspect all your beds, sofas, and armchairs, looking for the signs mentioned above. If you discover even small traces of bed bugs, call a pest control company right away.

In the meantime, check out the other articles on our website to learn more about pest infestations, what damage they can cause, and how to protect your property.