How can I check if bed bugs are dead? - briefly
Inspect suspected insects for no response when gently prodded and for signs of desiccation, such as shriveled bodies and a white, brittle exoskeleton. Lack of blood‑feeding marks and a dry, cracked appearance confirms they are dead.
How can I check if bed bugs are dead? - in detail
To confirm that the insects are no longer alive, follow a systematic visual and tactile examination.
First, inspect all likely harborages—mattress seams, box‑spring edges, bed frame joints, headboard, nightstand cracks, and wall baseboards. Use a bright flashlight and a magnifying lens (10× or higher) to locate any small, dark‑brown or reddish specimens. Live bugs will exhibit movement when disturbed; dead ones remain motionless even after gentle prodding with a pin or needle.
Second, collect any suspect bodies. Place them on a white sheet of paper and observe for twitching or leg movement for at least 30 seconds. Absence of any motion indicates death. Examine the exoskeleton: dead individuals often appear flattened, shriveled, or have a white, translucent hue after dehydration.
Third, employ passive monitoring devices such as interceptor cups or sticky traps beneath the legs of the bed. After a treatment period, check these devices daily for trapped insects. Count the number of captured specimens; a steady decline to zero over several days suggests successful eradication.
Fourth, consider temperature verification. If heat treatment was applied, use a calibrated thermometer to ensure the environment reached at least 50 °C (122 °F) for a minimum of 90 minutes. Temperatures above this threshold cause rapid mortality, and subsequent cooling should not produce any new movement.
Fifth, perform a “white‑paper test.” Lay a white sheet over the mattress and press gently. Live bugs will attempt to escape, creating tiny dark spots. No spots after repeated checks confirm the absence of activity.
Finally, repeat the inspection after a two‑week interval. Bed bug life cycles span 5–10 days; any surviving eggs would hatch within this window. If no new insects appear, the population can be considered eliminated.