How can you tell that you have bed bugs at home? - briefly
Look for small, reddish‑brown insects about 5 mm long, their white eggs, and dark spotting of digested blood on sheets, mattress seams, or headboards. Additional clues include a sweet, musty odor and itchy, clustered bites on exposed skin.
How can you tell that you have bed bugs at home? - in detail
Bed‑bugs leave distinct signs that can be recognized without professional assistance.
Visible evidence includes:
- Small, rust‑colored spots on sheets, pillowcases, or mattress seams. These are excrement marks left by feeding insects.
- Tiny, translucent or reddish‑brown insects, about the size of an apple seed, often seen in the early morning or after a light disturbance.
- Shed skins, known as exuviae, which appear as pale, papery shells near sleeping areas.
- Faint, sweet‑scented odor resembling coriander, detectable when the population is large.
Inspection tips:
- Examine mattress edges, box‑spring folds, and headboard crevices with a flashlight. Bed‑bugs hide in tight seams and cracks.
- Pull back bedding and check the underside of sheets, especially around the corners.
- Look behind picture frames, electrical outlet covers, and baseboard moldings where insects may travel.
- Use a magnifying glass to verify the characteristic oval shape, flat dorsal surface, and the presence of tiny white eggs (about 1 mm long) attached to fabric fibers.
Additional clues:
- Unexplained, itchy welts that appear in a line or cluster, often on exposed skin, may indicate feeding.
- Increased activity after traveling or hosting guests can signal a new infestation.
If several of these indicators are present, the likelihood of an infestation is high and prompt eradication measures should be initiated.