How to Tell If You Have Bedbugs
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While bedbugs are small, it’s possible to identify and exterminate them before you have a major infestation. Here, we explain what bedbugs look like, where to find them, signs of their presence, and infestation containment tips. We’ll also answer some common questions about bedbugs to ensure you’re armed with the knowledge to confidently determine if you have bedbugs in your home.
Pest Control Cost
A general pest control plan costs from $400 to $950 per year, on average.
Pest Inspection
Some companies, including Terminix, offer free inspections.
Extermination
Professional pest control services, on average, cost between $150 and $450.
What Do Bedbugs Look Like?
Unfortunately, bedbugs have a similar appearance to several small insects, such as ticks, lice, baby cockroaches, and fleas. You can distinguish them from other pests by learning more about their appearance in the different stages of their lifespan. Adult bedbugs differ in color and size from immature ones. Here’s what you can expect at the varied stages of a bed bug’s life.
- Eggs: Bedbug eggs are tiny, only measuring 1 millimeter (mm), or about the size of a sharp pencil point. They are pearl white in color and have a tiny black eye spot when more than five days old.
- Nymphs: Bedbug nymphs go through five stages, growing from 1.5 mm to 4.5 mm (or about 1/8 inch) in size. Young nymphs are translucent or whitish-yellow in color, making them nearly invisible to the naked eye if they haven’t fed recently. After feeding, they become plump and red. As the nymph advances through the five stages of development, it will become more oval-shaped and brownish in color, resembling the adult.
- Adults: Adult bedbugs are 5 to 7 mm or about 1/4 inch long, with a flat, oval-shaped body resembling a small apple seed. They have a large abdomen, short antennae, six legs, and appear brownish-black when they haven’t fed recently. After feeding, they become plump and more reddish brown in color.
What Are the Signs of a Bedbug Infestation?
Recognizing an infestation early is key to successfully eradicating bedbugs from your home. While bites are a sign of bedbugs, they may not be frequent enough to recognize, and bites from other insects can easily be confused with bedbug bites. These telltale signs will help you identify a bedbug problem in your home.
Blood Stains
Typically, you won’t notice bedbugs feeding on you while you sleep. Yet, they will leave signs of their presence behind. Search bed sheets and pillowcases for small red or rust-colored stains resembling splotches or smears. These stains occur when you unknowingly put pressure on a bug that has just fed on your blood. If stains are present, check your body for injuries that might be the cause. You may have bedbugs if there are no other probable causes for such stains.
Eggs
While bedbug eggs are more difficult to see than adult bedbugs, they’re visible to the naked eye and don’t hide when you search for them. Bedbug eggs are pearly white, oval-shaped, and about the size of a pinhead. They look similar to tiny grains of rice loosely stuck to cracks and crevices between fabrics or wooden furniture.
Fecal Spots
These spots are smaller and often less noticeable than blood spots. Droppings are often called fecal spotting as they resemble black dots from the tip of a marker. The digested blood appears dark brown or black and smells faintly musty. These dark spots can be found on sheets, pajamas, mattresses, headboards, box springs, walls, curtains, and other surfaces. Yet, they’re most likely found in harborage areas (narrow crevices in furniture and around the seams of mattresses and box springs).
Shed Skins
Bedbugs shed their skins as they grow, leaving behind light brown exoskeletons. The shells are yellowish-brown and translucent and come in various sizes throughout the bedbug’s molting cycle. Shed skins are often found clustered around the seams of mattresses and the edges of box springs. As an infestation grows, you may also see them in other areas. Upon recognizing shed skins, you should call your local pest control professional for an inspection to confirm your suspicion of bedbugs.
What Do Bedbug Bites Look Like?
Bedbug bites are small, red, itchy bumps. Since they resemble other insect bites, they’re not enough to confirm an infestation. However, recognizing them can help connect other signs of an infestation.
The most common spots for bedbug bites are areas that are likely to be exposed, including hands, arms, and legs. Bites usually appear in clusters of three to four bites in zig-zag patterns. However, they can appear as single bites or random patterns and be mistaken for flea or spider bites, hives, and rashes. Bites generally aren’t harmful but can cause an allergic reaction in some individuals.
Where Should You Check for Bedbugs?
Bedbugs are about the size of an apple seed and prefer to stay immobile during daylight hours. They can be difficult to locate until an infestation gets out of control. Bedbugs’ hiding spots are more likely to be found in areas where they can stay undetected, although bedbugs can inhabit practically any material. Use a flashlight and magnifying glass to inspect the following areas to help you recognize a bedbug infestation.
- Baseboards and loose wallpaper: Bedbugs are more likely to hide in places other than your bed once you’re mobile. Inspect the crevices between baseboards, walls, and behind electrical outlets for live bugs, fecal matter, and shed skins. Peek behind the edges of loose wallpaper, looking for the same signs.
- Curtains and blinds: Curtains and blinds near beds and other furniture provide ample space for hiding bed bugs. Use your flashlight to inspect the folds of curtains and crevices between blind slats to identify live bugs without giving them a chance to hide.
- Headboards and bed frames: The small size of bedbugs makes it easy for them to hide in the cracks where headboards and bed frames join together. They can even be found in the heads of screws.
- Luggage and clutter: Piles of clothing, luggage, or other clutter that aren’t often disrupted make an ideal spot for bedbugs to hide. Move items carefully while searching with a flashlight to avoid disrupting live bugs before you catch a glimpse of them.
- Mattresses and box springs: The crevices and seams of mattresses and box springs are some of the most common areas to spot bedbugs. These spaces give them ample coverage and easy access to their next meal. Look for eggs, fecal matter, live bugs, and shed skins.
- Other furniture: Bedbugs can reside in all types of furniture and are often found in the seams of chairs and couches, between cushions, and in cracks where wood joins together. If a crack will hold a credit card, it can harbor bedbugs.
How to Confirm a Bedbug Infestation
Confirming a bedbug infestation usually requires more than finding live bedbugs and evidence of bites. Multiple signs of bedbugs are a likely indicator of an infestation. However, capturing a bug for positive identification can help you achieve an accurate confirmation.
Live or dead bedbugs can be used for positive identification if not crushed or altered. Try scooping bedbugs into a small jar, pill bottle, or zip lock bag. Once you’ve captured one or more of these insects, it’s best to have a pest control professional make a positive identification. Bedbug treatment is costly and requires a substantial time commitment, making a positive identification worth your time.
How to Prevent the Spread of Bedbugs
Recognizing and containing a bedbug infestation early is critical to a successful extermination. While severe infestations can eventually be eradicated, getting them under control takes much more time and effort.
Like other insect infestations, bedbug infestations can start small and multiply quickly. Once you’ve positively confirmed the presence of bedbugs, act promptly to prevent their spread throughout your home. Take these steps to contain an infestation.
- Launder bedding and other items showing bed bug stains. Wash sheets, bedding, fabric mattress covers, and clothing in hot water. After washing, place items in a hot dryer for at least 20 minutes.
- Place clean items in a hot dryer. Items such as stuffed toys or throw pillows that have likely been exposed to bedbugs should be placed in a hot dryer for at least 20 minutes to kill bedbugs. After drying, store the items in sealed plastic bags until you’re sure you’ve gotten rid of all the bugs.
- Vacuum surfaces. Vacuum carpets, floors, bed frames, furniture, cracks, and crevices in affected rooms daily. After vacuuming, empty the contents and seal them in a bag placed outside your home.
- Invest in mattress and box spring covers. After vacuuming bed frames and mattresses, enclose the mattress and box springs in zippered encasements designed for bedbugs. These covers can be difficult to put on, so get a partner to help. If the cover tears, replace it immediately.
- Seal cracks and crevices. Seal cracks in plaster and baseboards after getting rid of bedbugs. Remove loose wallpaper and tighten light switch covers to eliminate potential hiding places.
- Seal infested items before disposal. Proper disposal of any items you get rid of is essential to avoid passing the infestation along to someone else or allowing it back into your home. Seal discarded items in plastic bags or use plastic sheeting to securely wrap any items that won’t fit into bags. Label items clearly with a sign noting contents are infested with bedbugs.
- Contact a professional. While do-it-yourself bedbug extermination is possible, it’s very difficult if you’re facing a severe infestation. Contact a professional for expert extermination if you’re facing a large infestation or your efforts aren’t solving the problem.
Our Recommendation
Early detection and preventive actions are vital to controlling and eliminating a bedbug infestation. Learn to identify what bedbugs look like and the signs of an infestation to help you positively confirm if you have bedbugs in your home. Search for blood spots, fecal matter, shed skins, and eggs, and watch for live bugs and bites on your skin. Once you confirm you have bedbugs in your home, act quickly to prevent them from spreading and aid extermination efforts. Contacting a pest control company is often the best option for successful eradication since getting rid of bedbugs is time-consuming and challenging.
Pest Control Cost
A general pest control plan costs from $400 to $950 per year, on average.
Pest Inspection
Some companies, including Terminix, offer free inspections.
Extermination
Professional pest control services, on average, cost between $150 and $450.
How to Tell If You Have Bedbugs FAQ
Can bedbugs live in your hair?
While bedbugs can get in your hair, they don’t typically infest or live in human hair. An infestation of bugs in your hair is more likely to be lice.
Can you see bedbugs with the naked eye?
Yes, adult bedbugs can be seen with the naked eye. While bedbug nymphs and eggs are more difficult to see, they can also be seen with the naked eye.
Do bedbugs bite every night?
While bedbugs feed at night, they don’t necessarily bite every night. They can go several nights in between meals.
How long do bedbugs live?
On average, bedbugs live about seven to 12 months. However, their life span depends on environmental factors such as temperature and available food.
What are the first signs of bedbugs?
Bites and bloodstains on sheets are some early signs of bedbugs. Other signs may include fecal matter, live bedbug sightings, and musty odors.
