Do I Have Bed Bugs ?
Those little reddish rashes that itch like crazy are probably the reason you are asking"??"??Do I have bed bugs?"??. Over 90% of clients say that bites were their first sign of possible bed bugs. Many people incorrectly assume the first bites are mosquitoes. Asking a dermatologist to analyze the welts may be time consuming and inconclusive. Labs typically classify the bites as coming from "mites".
Clue #1: What is special to bed bug bites is that they are formed in clusters or lines, as opposed to single bites in different areas of the body.
Clue #2: Look for their signs, which should be relatively easy to spot. They shed skins as they grow. These look like the outer skin of an onion. Another telltale sign is small blood smears, which may be caused when the bugs are crushed. More difficult to spot are the eggs. They are tiny whitish gray and come in groups, as they are laid. You may also spot fecal deposits which are small brown spots.
Most likely places to notice signs of bed bugs:
Strip the bedding and look very carefully along the seams of the mattress for bed bugs and any of their fecal matter. You should also look around the buttons and in the many tears in the mattress. If you have a box spring then you should also examine it and then check the bed frame especially if your bed frame is made of wood. You should also look carefully behind any pictures or posters on the wall and along the seams of any carpet in the room. If your room has a wooden floor, then it is quite possible for the bed bugs to hide between the seams and/or cracks in the floors.
The best way to discover bed bugs:
This is the trickiest part of your inspection, so first it is important to understand how they operate. These sneaky parasites avoid the light as if their life depended on it. So they come out in the dark, when you are normally sleeping. The bugs inject a numbing agent first so you don't feel the sting and take about 10 minutes to completely fill up on your blood.
Have a flashlight ready at your bedside and get up between 3am to 5am (before the sun comes up). Upon rising, turn on the flashlight (not the room lights) and look under the covers and on your sheets. Then look around the edges, pull off sheets and check the bedding. They are about inch reddish brown and larger after feeding. Babies (nymphs) are smaller and milky white in color. There is a good chance you will spot them running for cover. Try to capture some for better identification in the light.
Clue #1: What is special to bed bug bites is that they are formed in clusters or lines, as opposed to single bites in different areas of the body.
Clue #2: Look for their signs, which should be relatively easy to spot. They shed skins as they grow. These look like the outer skin of an onion. Another telltale sign is small blood smears, which may be caused when the bugs are crushed. More difficult to spot are the eggs. They are tiny whitish gray and come in groups, as they are laid. You may also spot fecal deposits which are small brown spots.
Most likely places to notice signs of bed bugs:
Strip the bedding and look very carefully along the seams of the mattress for bed bugs and any of their fecal matter. You should also look around the buttons and in the many tears in the mattress. If you have a box spring then you should also examine it and then check the bed frame especially if your bed frame is made of wood. You should also look carefully behind any pictures or posters on the wall and along the seams of any carpet in the room. If your room has a wooden floor, then it is quite possible for the bed bugs to hide between the seams and/or cracks in the floors.
The best way to discover bed bugs:
This is the trickiest part of your inspection, so first it is important to understand how they operate. These sneaky parasites avoid the light as if their life depended on it. So they come out in the dark, when you are normally sleeping. The bugs inject a numbing agent first so you don't feel the sting and take about 10 minutes to completely fill up on your blood.
Have a flashlight ready at your bedside and get up between 3am to 5am (before the sun comes up). Upon rising, turn on the flashlight (not the room lights) and look under the covers and on your sheets. Then look around the edges, pull off sheets and check the bedding. They are about inch reddish brown and larger after feeding. Babies (nymphs) are smaller and milky white in color. There is a good chance you will spot them running for cover. Try to capture some for better identification in the light.
