Five Signs You May Have Bed Bugs In Your Home

If bed bugs are present in your home, you may not be aware of it. These bugs can cause many different problems within the home. There are a few ways that you can determine if you have bed bugs in your home.

Examine Bug Bites

Although bite marks are the prime indication that you have a bed bug problem, all bites that you accrue may not be due to bed bugs. Bites from these pests are itchy, red, and located on the shoulders or the arms. One indication that you are suffering from bed bug bites is their distinctive patterns. The pattern of a bed bug bite appears in rows, instead of random places.

Inspection Time

Another way you can tell that you may have these pests in your home is by inspecting your bedding. If you have bed bugs in your home, you will notice dark spots and red stains. The dark spots could be dead bugs, dried blood, eggs, or feces. The red stains are blood left behind from a previous feeding. When you are inspecting your bedding and linen, check the corners of your bed, especially if they have plastic guards. The edges of the mattress are a great hiding place for bed bugs, so this is one area that needs to be thoroughly inspected.

Catching Them in the Act

Conducting a visual inspection is a great approach to this situation, but it may not do any justice, which is why you may have to take drastic measures and find these bugs in the act. In order to find some action, you will need to catch them during hunting time, which is usually before dawn. Hunting time is when bed bugs come out of hiding to feed on your blood.

If you are not an early bird, you will need to set an alarm and have one or two flashlights handy. In order for this method to work, you have to be careful and still. One movement can disrupt your plans for affirming your assumptions. If bed bugs sense that there is movement or anything similar, they will go back into their hiding spots. Catching bed bugs in the act can become frustrating and pose a complex challenge because you may not receive the results you desire on the first try.

Activity in this situation depends upon how large of an infestation you have. If you are not a victim of a huge infestation, bed bugs will not come out to feed as frequently as they would if you were a victim of a huge, overwhelming infestation. If there is not a huge infestation present, bed bugs may only come out for feeding purposes once or twice per week.

Look Around

The indications of a bed bug issue can appear all around your home and not just in your bed. Some places that bed bugs can be found are surprising, but it is a good idea to look. A few strange places bed bugs can be found are on the inside of your nightstand, behind picture frames, on the inside of electrical sockets, on curtains, and on the inside of drawers.

Stopping Them in Their Tracks

For some people, waking up at the crack of dawn is not a preferred method to tell if you are a victim of bed bug bites and infestation. Setting traps is one technique that may be more appealing. There are many different bed bug tips that are available from experts, such as pest control services and other professional businesses in this field.

Savannah Coulsen is a freelance writer and lives in Raleigh. Savannah loves to read and write and she hopes to write a novel someday. Savannah also loves learning and is a self-proclaimed health guru. Savannah got information for this post from Gold Seal, a company that specializes in bed bugs in Indianapolis.