How to Check for Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are nocturnal insects that thrive on the blood of warm-blooded animals, particularly humans. Even though your house is free of these insects, bed bug infestation may occur in case you bring some of them from the hotel room you have stayed during travel or from a movie theater. In such cases, you will come to know about the infestation only when you and other family members develop symptoms of bed bug bites, like itching and skin rash.

Checking for Bed Bugs

The first and foremost requirement is that you must know how to identify a bed bug. If you lack awareness about what do bed bugs look like, there is no point in proceeding with other measures.

A bed bug is a nocturnal and parasitic insect that lacks wings. They are reddish brown in color and have flat bodies that are roughly oval in shape. These insects can grow up to a maximum length of around 5 millimeters and a width of 1.5 to 3 millimeters. The nymphs are smaller in size and have a lighter body color, with some of them being translucent. They have sucking mouth parts through which they inject saliva, so as to prevent clotting of blood, till they finish feeding. It is the saliva that causes the bed bugs rash and itching.

• Checking for bed bugs is very important in case you plan to shift to a new house or if you have to stay in a hotel room while traveling, or if you develop itching and skin rash after sleep.
• If you experience itching and skin rash that look like welts, especially after sleep and even other family members that share the bed are experiencing the same, get it confirmed from the doctor that the condition is nothing other than bed bug bites.
• Once confirmed, you can start with checking your pillows, mattress, the frame of the bed and the headboard, for live or dead bed bugs or cues that suggest their presence.
• As you know how bed bugs look like, you can easily identify them, if you find these insects on the above said locations, either dead or alive. They are more likely to hide in between the creases, crevices and corners.
• Bed bug signs include blood stains on the mattress, pillows and bed covers. Even the excrement of these insects leaves dark spots and can be easily identified. The skin shed by these insects are among one of the evidences that suggest bed bug infestation. You may also find white eggs that are less than one millimeter in size.
• If you find such signs, then check all furniture, carpets, wall crevices, wall hangings, clocks and electrical outlets. Scrape all cracks and crevices (except electrical outlets) to check for bed bugs.
• In case of a hotel room, it will be always better to check for bed bugs before you unpack your luggage. Avoid throwing your clothes and luggage on the bed. Inform the authorities, if you find these bugs and shift to another room. Wash everything in hot water once you reach home.

If you find bed bugs or signs of bed bug infestation, then take immediate measures to get rid of them. Bed bug removal can either be done by yourself or by hiring pest control professionals. Even checking for bed bugs can be done with the help of professionals who use various techniques, including scent detection units with dogs that are trained to detect bugs. Checking for bed bugs once in a while will be always beneficial in early detection of infestation and easy eradication of these bugs.