Bed bugs are a huge nuisance and an infestation can cause a lot of stress and sleepless nights. But how do you know if you’re dealing with one? Start a search to learn more about identifying and treating bed bugs in your home.
As tiny as bed bugs are, identifying them is easy detective work once you know where to look. While nobody wants to find bed bugs, it’s imperative that you don’t put off your search, because a minor infestation can become an outbreak very quickly!
The Stages of Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are small, brown, oval shaped insects that live off the blood of either humans or animals. They can grow to be anywhere from 1 to 7-millimeters long and are flat in shape and look almost like an apple seed. WebMD explains that immature bedbugs are called nymphs.1
While they aren’t harmful and don’t transmit any diseases, there’s no denying bedbugs are a major nuisance and inconvenience. If you suspect there are bedbugs living in your home, they must be treated immediately.
Symptoms
1. Red Bite
According to Healthline, the area of the skin that has been bitten by a bedbug will become red and swollen with a dark spot at the center of each bite.2 The bites often appear in lines or clusters with multiple bites grouped together.
2. Specks of Blood
Another common sign of bedbugs is blood stains on the sheets or pillow cases, says WebMD. This is due to the fact that bedbugs feed on blood. Whether you notice specks of blood on your sheet or other signs on this list, this can be a good indicator of whether or not you’re dealing with bedbugs.
3. Exoskeletons
We touched on this earlier, but immature bedbugs (also called nymphs) will shed their outer shell several times before growing into adult bedbugs. In addition to all the other signs on this list, you should also be looking for any signs of an outer shell around the suspected infested area.
Treatment
Now onto treating the space where bedbugs live. The first task is to clean any bedding, linens, curtains, and clothing in hot water. Before vacuuming, use a brush to scrub down the entire mattress. Make sure to get into any small spaces like the seams.
Vacuum the mattress and around the bed. Do it frequently. Check the surrounding area for any cracks in the plaster or wallpaper. If there are any, repair them. These are places where bedbugs can hide. You should also remove any clutter around the bed.
