How To Inspect For Bed Bugs: Where To Look & What To Look For

To inspect for bed bugs, you will need a flashlight to see the adults and a magnifying glass to see the first-stage nymphs and eggs. Before you inspect for bed bugs you will need to know the signs to look for and where to look for them.

What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?

Adult bed bugs are small, dark brown insects (5-7mm), nymphs are very small and translucent yellow (1mm) and the eggs (1mm) are white, pearly, and translucent. They live in or around our beds and bite us at night.

How To Inspect For Bed Bugs

Bed Bug Signs And Where To Find Them

• Bites: Bed bug bites are generally found in a straight line, clusters, or a zig-zag pattern. They appear as red, itchy spots that can be anywhere on your body, but they are usually found on the arms, legs, and shoulders. The bites may be mild or trigger an allergic reaction. If scratched they can become imflamed and infected.
• Live or Dead Bugs: You may notice live or dead bed bugs on your sheets, mattress, in cracks or crevices on the bed frame, or other areas around your bed, such as curtains and side tables.
• Blood Spots: Blood spots on your sheets occur when you roll over and crush a fed bed bug in your sleep.
• Fecal Stains: Small black ink spots on your skin or bed sheets are bed bug fecal matter, which is excreted straight after feeding.
• Castings (Shells) and Eggs: You may see their shed skins and eggs if you find their nest. To become adults, bed bugs shed their exoskeleton five times. These exoskeletond can be found on the mattress, bed frame or around the sleeping areas.
• Smell: A large infestation can cause a musty, sweet smell

Signs Of Bed Bugs On Your Bed Image Gallery

Click on image to enlarge

How To Get Rid of Bed Bugs Yourself

DIY Easy Bed Bug Treatment Video For A Bed Frame

How To Treat An Ensemble

DIY Bed Bug Treatment Video For An Ensemble Bed

How To Prevent Bed Bugs Long Term

1. Check Hotel Mattresses When Travelling: When you stay in a hotel, always look at the mattress and bedding carefully. Look for small blood spots, dark poop stains, and live bugs.
2. After Travelling: When you come back home, wash all your clothes in hot water and clean your luggage. If you have things that can’t be washed, put them in a sealed plastic bag and freeze them for four days to kill any bedbugs.
3. Avoid Second-Hand Furniture or Mattresses: Don’t bring used furniture or mattresses into your home because they might have bedbugs.
4. Diatomaceous Earth (DE): Use DE powder around power points and electrical outlets to stop bedbugs from coming into your home from other places. Always use a pest control company that uses DE.
5. Apply Diatomaceous Earth to Your Bed Frame: Sprinkle DE on your bed frame. This is a good way to keep bedbugs away because DE keeps working to kill them unless it gets wiped off.
6. Traveling Guests: If you have guests who have recently traveled, they might bring bedbugs with them. Wash their clothes in hot water and clean their luggage.
7. New Housemates from Backpacker Hostels: If you have new housemates who stayed in backpacker hostels, they might have bedbugs. Wash their clothes in hot water and use a vacuum cleaner on their luggage to make sure no bedbugs come into your home.

Conclusion

Research by the Department of Health WA, Oxford Academic, and the National Library of Medicine highlights that bed bugs are a significant public health concern. Effective management requires vigilant inspection, innovative treatments, and public awareness.

To stay ahead of infestations, recognize early signs, use eco-friendly solutions, and promote education on bed bug prevention and control.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Can you visually inspect for bed bugs?
   Yes, you can visually inspect for bed bugs by looking for small, reddish-brown bugs about the size of an apple seed, tiny white eggs, shed skins, and dark spots in hiding spots like mattresses, bed frames, furniture seams, and cracks in the walls or floors.
2. How do you check for bedbugs?
   To check for bed bugs, use a flashlight and a magnifying glass to carefully inspect the seams and folds of your mattress, the seams and cushions of your furniture, and any cracks or crevices in the walls and floors. Look for live bugs, eggs, shed skins, and dark spots that indicate bed bug droppings.
3. How do you 100% know you have bed bugs?
   You can be 100% sure you have bed bugs if you find live or dead bed bugs, their eggs, exoskeletons, or fecal stains around your bed.

Sources:

Department of Health WA (Bed bugs), Oxford Academic (Perspectives on Biology and Management of Bed bugs ), National Library of Medicine (Bedbugs: Clinical Relevance and Control Options)