Signs Of a Bed Bug Infestation & How to Identify Them

Bed bugs (Cimex Lectularius) are unpleasant bloodsucking pests that can live undetected for many months in hard to spot sometimes hard to reach areas of your home or business. According to Forbes August 2020 article ‘Bed Bugs on the rise despite Covid19 new study suggests’, they are on the rise in Europe.

In this article we look at how you can turn amateur detective when looking for bed bugs in your home or business, the common signs of bed bugs, the symptoms that strongly indicate you have been bitten by a bed bug, plus the best ways to treat an infestation.

What Do Bed Bugs Look Like

Bed bugs are small parasitic crawling insects. Often mistaken for carpet beetles or similar sized insects they grow to 4-5 mm long and 1.5mm wide – roughly the size of apple seeds. Adult bed bugs range in colour from light to reddish brown.

They are oval shaped, wing-less and domed in appearance. Their preferred sole source of food is human blood. They are tough and live for 12+ months without feeding. Just one single pregnant bed bug can be responsible for a full-blown infestation in two weeks with its offspring rapidly producing.

Where bed bugs can usually be found

Bed bugs spend much of their time in dark, hidden locations like mattress seams, or cracks in a wall.

They can infest aircraft, ships, trains, buses, offices, homes, and leisure spaces. Bed bugs are frequently found in dwellings with a high rate of occupant turnover, such as hotels, Airbnb’s, hostels, dormitories, shelters, apartment complexes, tenements, and prisons. Despite this bed bugs are increasingly making their way into homes – often brought to your home courtesy of your holiday luggage, office rucksack, even on your clothing as you return from a restaurant, the cinema, and your favourite gallery.

But where can they be found in your home or business? The unfortunate answer is that once you have a bed bug infestation, if left untreated, the bed bugs will spread to every room.

We advise that you check all the following to determine the extent of the infestation.

Skirting boards – cracks between the boards and on the top and bottom.
Bed frames
Electrical sockets
Seams, folds, and zips in soft furnishings including cushions, curtains, chairs, and sofas.
Under loose wallpaper and in the seam where the wallpaper and ceiling meet
In clothing especially jumpers, jackets, and hats.
Mattresses – any area of a mattress can harbour bed bugs from the seams to the indented buttons.
Underneath paintings and posters on the walls

How To Look For Signs of bed Bugs

Identifying a bed bug infestation early is crucial for effective treatment and preventing these persistent pests from establishing a larger colony in your home. While bed bugs are skilled at hiding and primarily active at night, they leave behind several distinctive traces that can alert you to their presence.

These small, reddish-brown insects can quickly multiply if left unchecked, making early detection essential. Whether you’ve noticed unexplained bites, spotted suspicious stains, or simply want to be proactive in protecting your home or business, knowing what to look for can help you identify an infestation before it becomes severe. Here are the key signs that indicate you might have bed bugs:

You should find at least one of the following:

Blood spots and smears: Reddish-brown stains on your mattress, chairs or sofas from bugs that have been crushed. These clusters or dark faecal spots, which are usually about 1mm wide, look like an ink dot and may bleed into the fabric. Small blood smears on bed linen or headboard can be found, usually caused by bites or squashing.
Bites: Itchy bites that often appear in clusters on exposed skin, like the neck, arms, or face. Bites can be red or purplish with a dark centre and a lighter, swollen area around it. Note that some people may not feel the bite or develop clear symptoms.
Eggs and eggshells: Small, pale yellow eggs about 1mm in size. Female bed bugs lay 300-500 eggs, glueing them into cracks and crevices using a cement-like substance. The eggshells remain stuck to the surface after hatching. You may also find yellowish skins shed by young bed bugs.
Skin shedding: Pale yellow, papery, partially shredded insect skins usually found on bed sheets, pillowcases, and soft furnishings. These are left behind as nymphs grow and moult.
Musty odour: A sickly-sweet, musty odour likened to rotten raspberries. This smell becomes more noticeable with larger infestations.
Live bed bugs: The most obvious sign but not always the first you find – seeing the small brown insects themselves. They can be found in and around your bed frame, sleeping area, and particularly in the folds of mattresses and bed sheets.

Bear in mind that because other types of insects can resemble bed bugs you should take a few photographs of the tell-tale signs and of the bugs themselves. Show these images to a professional before going any further or use our pest identifying tool here.

Need Help Confirming a Bed Bug Problem?

Finding signs of bed bugs can be concerning, and early intervention is crucial for successful treatment. If you've spotted any of the signs mentioned above or simply want peace of mind, our expert pest control technicians are here to help.

How to Inspect for Bed Bugs

Conducting a thorough bed bug inspection requires patience, attention to detail, and the right approach. While these elusive pests are masters at hiding in the smallest crevices, a systematic inspection can help you detect their presence before an infestation grows.

The key to a successful inspection is being methodical and thorough, taking time to examine each potential hiding spot carefully. By following these practical guidelines and using basic household tools, you can perform a comprehensive check of your living space:

Use a bright flashlight and a credit card or thin ruler to probe tight spaces
Start with the bed and work your way outward in a systematic pattern
Pull furniture away from walls and examine the backs and undersides
Check seams, tufts, and folds of mattresses and furniture thoroughl
Inspect during daylight hours when visibility is best
Look in a 6-20 foot radius around sleeping areas, as this is where bed bugs typically cluster
Pay special attention to cracks, crevices, and dark corners where bed bugs hide
Consider using a magnifying glass for better visibility of eggs and young bugs

What are the symptoms of being bitten by a bed bug?

It’s no fun being bitten by a bed bug and whilst the bites are not known to be harmful, they are none the less unpleasant and cause itching. A severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) is also possible but rare. Apart from the fact they are unsightly (especially after feeding on human blood) bed bugs target and harm humans with the following tell-tale signs.

Red welts from where they have pierced the skin
Swelling on the bitten skin
Intense itching
Prominent blisters

Not all people experience these signs of bed bugs even if sharing a bed with someone who does. It does not mean they are not being bitten, just that their skin is not reacting to the bite itself.

Whilst the most obvious sign is human discomfort, bed bug bites are often mistakenly attributed to other insects such as fleas and mosquitoes. Bites from fleas tend to be around the ankles.

Bed bugs can bite anywhere on the body where there’s skin. Typically, the bites are found on the skin that is exposed as you sleep. For example:

Neck
Face
Hands
Shoulders
Arms
Legs

It’s quite usual not to feel the bite itself or have symptoms beyond the small dots where the bed bug bit. In most cases symptoms occur within minutes of the bite and with no further irritation they should clear up within a week.

Best ways to treat an infestation of bed bugs

Be prepared for a long haul if you are treating an infestation of bed bugs in your home or business. Just when you think you have got the better of the bugs, they can return and often with a vengeance. It’s challenging to find all their hiding places although a very good torch and perseverance helps.

These tips should help you…

Before you start treating your home with any approved over the counter bed bug treatments it pays to prepare thoroughly. So, ensure your linens, carpets, drapes, clothing, and other hiding places have been cleaned and anything not wanted is disposed of away from your home.

Eliminate bed bug hiding places. So, gather all the books, magazines, clothes, soft toys, slippers, and papers – basically everything lying on your floor and under your bed and in your wardrobe. Clean and store away from the infested area or recycle. If you move items from an infested room to a clean one you will spread the infestation to that room, so use good quality sealed bags for transportation.

Seal up the open areas such as your loose wallpaper.

Seal the cracks in the skirting boards, in furniture, around door frames etc.

Tape up electrical sockets

Move your bed at least 15cm from the wall so bed bugs can’t climb on.

Helpful advice from NHS England Bedbugs – NHS (www.nhs.uk) states:

Contact your local council or pest control service -it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get rid of bed bugs yourself because they can be resistant to some insecticides” and…

Wash affected bedding and clothing – use a hot wash (60C) or tumble dry on a hot setting for at least 30 minutes
Put affected clothing and bedding in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer (-16C) for 4 days (alternative to hot washing)
Clean and vacuum regularly – bed bugs are found in both clean and dirty places, but regular cleaning will help you spot them early.

Intensive cleaning of all known bed bug ‘haunts’ whilst not spreading the infestation from one room to another is crucial if you are to succeed. Another very effective treatment to rid your property of bed bugs is through heat treatment.

For more information and tips on how to get rid of bed bugs read our guide here.

How Dyno-Pest can help

We know how distressing it can be to find an infestation in your home or business of any pest. So, if you find yourself at a loss as to what to do, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for advice and to arrange a survey.

As bed bug exterminators in London with over 25 years’ experience, bed bug infestations are all in a day’s work for us. So don’t hesitate to ask for advice if your bed bug problem is proving beyond control or you simply want confirmation that those pests you have spotted really are the signs of a bed bug infestation.

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