Recognize Bed Bugs

Bedbugs are tiny insects that feed on the blood of humans and animals.[1] Despite their name, bedbugs do not only live in beds; they can also hide in luggage, couches, and other stored items. Buildings with many occupants, like apartment buildings, hotels, and hospitals, are particularly prone to bed bug infestations. Learning to recognize the following telltale signs will help you identify a bedbug infestation so that you can properly dispose of the pests.

Steps

  1. Know what the bugs look like. Bedbugs are tiny, oval, brown insects. They are wingless creatures with flat bodies and six legs.[2]Though they are small, bedbugs can be seen with the naked eye; most grow to about .2 inches (.5 cm).[2]
  2. Check for bite marks. Bedbugs are most active at night, biting people while they are asleep.[1]If you wake up with itchy, red spots that you didn't have before you went to bed, you might have an infestation in your home.
    • Bedbug bites are usually painless, but cause itching throughout the day.[1]
    • Unlike other types of bites, bedbug bites can appear anywhere on the body, especially areas that are exposed during sleep.
    • Many people mistake bedbug bites with bites from other insects like mosquitoes or spiders. In order to confirm an infestation, you must find the bugs themselves.[1]
  3. Find their hiding spots. Bedbugs usually hide in mattresses initially, because they provide easy access to human flesh. They usually spread, however, to furniture throughout the house, as well as stored items like clothing, towels, sleeping bags, and luggage.
    • If you think you may have bedbugs, then strip the blankets and sheets from your bed and examine your mattress and box spring for bedbugs or bedbug excrement.[3]
    • Check your bed as well as the area surrounding your bed. Examine clothing, books, telephones, carpets, etc. Stored items in your closet may also be infected.[3]
    • Bedbugs do not form nests of any kind, but usually appear in large numbers and scatter throughout the house.[1]
  4. Look for the following signs. If you are having trouble finding or identifying the insects themselves, check for the following telltale signs that bedbugs are present:
    • Blood stains on your pillows or sheets.[1]
    • A strong, musty odor from the bedbugs' scent glands.[1]
    • Dark/rusty spots on sheets, clothes, and walls, which may be bedbug excrement.[1]

Tips

  • Call an exterminator to treat an infestation, and get rid of infested property, like blankets or cushions, if necessary. You can also treat the infestation yourself using certain chemicals.
  • Bites take at least a week to heal and can be treated with hydrocortisone cream to relieve the itching.
  • Blood is what ultimately attracts bedbugs; they are not necessarily a sign of a dirty home. Clean homes are just as likely as dirty homes to become infected.[1]
  • Though they are troublemakers, bedbugs don't spread infectious diseases.[1]

Warnings

  • Bedbugs can enter the home through luggage or other infested furniture. Be sure to inspect any blanketed or cushioned items before bringing them into your home, particularly if you have purchased them second-hand.
  • Adult bedbugs can survive for several months without a host to feed on, so vacant homes/buildings may also be infected.[4]

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/bedbugs-infestation
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/ss/slideshow-bedbugs
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/bedbugs-infestation?page=2
  4. ↑ http://www1.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/bed-bugs-in-residences/

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