The Early Signs of Bed Bugs to Look Out For

Bed bugs make up 92% of all reported infestations. They’re somewhat of an epidemic and it’s important to know when you’re experiencing an infestation so you can eradicate the problem before it gets out of hand.

But what are the early signs of bed bugs and how can you get rid of bed bugs? Do you need to call a pest control service, or should you try to get rid of them on your own?

In this article, you’ll learn about beg bugs control and what to do if you think you have an infestation.

What Are Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are bugs that live in dark places in your home, such as mattresses, furniture, and even curtains if your infestation is severe. They have long, flat brown bodies and maybe slighter bigger than an apple seed.

Bed bugs are “hitchhikers” and love to stow away on your luggage or bags if you’re staying in a room where bed bugs are present, but they can’t fly. They also may travel from luggage to luggage since suitcases have dark crevices which are perfect for hiding. They begin breeding once they reach your home and this is how an infestation occurs.

Though they don’t transmit diseases, bed bugs can and do feast on human blood, which causes them to swell. This makes them easier to spot in your home. While they may be nocturnal and only feed at night, if they get hungry enough, they could come lurking for food during the day.

Early Signs of Bed Bugs

The tell-tale signs of bed bugs are not always apparent, but there are some ways to tell if they’re present in your bed or furniture. You’ll especially need to keep an eye out if you’ve recently traveled. Here are some potential bed bug signs.

1. You Can See Them

Sometimes the only way to know for sure that you have bed bugs is to spot them. These apple-seed-size critters mainly surface at night but might crawl around looking for food if they’re desperate enough. They look like brown bugs crawling on your furniture or mattress and there may be one or several of them.

2. Bites

Bed bugs love feasting on human blood, but as a result, they leave bite marks behind. You can typically find these bite marks on your arms, legs, and other body parts. Though they are painless when a bed bug pierces you, they turn into welts that itch and become red, but some people may not have any reactions at all.

Sometimes bed bug bites may be mistaken for other bug bites such as from mosquitos. However, this is why it’s important to consider all the signs so you can decide if you need to call a pest control service.

3. Bug Debris

As gross as it sounds, bed bugs leave trails of themselves behind because as they grow, they shed their exoskeleton. This can include their shells, eggs, and yellowed skin fragments. Their shells are brown-colored and their eggs are white, which may be hard to detect.

However, if the infestation has been brewing for some time, you’ll likely see plenty of shells, eggs, and skins to conclude that an infestation is happening.

4. Stains and Feces

Another sign of bed bugs is blood and fecal bug matter. Bed bugs love blood, but the blood marks that you see might not be bright red, but dark red or even brown. The marks may have resulted from a bug getting squashed while sleeping or just leaving trails behind.

They also leave the fecal matter on your furniture or mattress as well. Fecal matter is smaller to detect, but sometimes it smears leaving you a clue that you might have bed bugs.

5. Odor

While all the above signs are important to determine if you have bed bugs, another sign is a slight odor.

Bed bugs emit a certain odor called pheromones when they feel threatened or when they’re crushed. The odor has been described as musty, dirty laundry, spoiled berries, and even coriander. Unless there’s an infestation of bed bugs, an odor will probably be one of the last signs you notice, since it’s almost undetectable to humans.

Bed Bug Treatment

A bed bug infestation can get out of control quickly. Before you even realize bed bugs are in your home, they can sneak into crevices, begin breeding and feasting, and then you have a much bigger problem. Bed bugs reproduce very quickly and it only takes 10 days for the eggs to hatch, and up to six weeks to make it to adulthood.

While you could attempt to get rid of bed bugs on your own, if your infestations have invaded your entire home or even a small portion of it, your best bet is to leave the exterminating to the professionals. They have tools to ensure that bed bugs are eliminated and cannot reproduce. They also know what to look for and can conclude whether or not you have an infestation.

However, there are a few steps you can take as well:

Wash your sheets and clothing in hot water and dry on hot. The heat will kill any remaining bed bugs.

Vacuum your mattress or furniture to remove shells and eggs, but dispose of it outside to avoid further breeding.

Dispose of your matters or furniture that is infested. Some companies will dispose of them properly so they’re not rehomed. You may need to get rid of your luggage or other items as well.

If you suspect bed bugs came through via cracks in your home, seal and repair the cracks to discourage more bugs from entering.

Get Rid of Bed Bugs Today!

Knowing the early signs of bed bugs will go a long way in ensuring the safety of your family and your home. Be sure to call pest control companies at the first sign of bed bugs so the problem doesn’t become overwhelming.

Do you need pest control service? Our company has experience with termite control, mosquito control, pest control for roaches, and bed bug treatment. Contact us today!