How Do You Know If You Have Bed Bugs?
You may have spotted something in your bed or on your clothes that looks like a bed bug, but how can you be sure? There are a number of pests that can get into the house, and only by knowing for sure can you use the right technique and products to get rid of them.
Sometimes you may not even see the bugs, but instead you start getting strange bites that could be a rash when you wake up in the morning. You may also see strange black spots start appearing on your bed sheets. If you are unsure, read on to find some of the tell-tale signs to confirm that you do have bed bugs, and not something else.
There are three main ways to tell if you have bed bugs:
1. Black spots on the bed – these are spots of feces left by the insects.
2. A sweet smell – beds infested with bed bugs often have a unique sweet and sickly smell which can be a clear indicator of what pest you have.
3. Spotting an actual bug – this may be on your bedding or clothing and may be alive or dead. Either way, you can double check what the bug.
Small spots on your bedding are often the first thing you might spot before confirming that you have bed bugs. These creatures so not irritate or hurt you when they bite, which is why you can wake up in the morning with new spots on your ankles but not wake up during the night. The bed bugs then excrete the blood, which shows in small dark red or black spots on your sheets. These will often be located around a concentrated area, and you may see a dozen small pellets around the corners and sides of your bed.
Other evidence that you have bed bugs may cause the bites themselves. These may show up before you spot anything on the bedding, and again as you don’t feel anything like the bite you may be totally unaware of what is happening. The bites will often be in a straight line as the big makes its way up a vein through the night.
If you think you may have an outbreak of bed bugs in your house, you may go looking for them to confirm. The best places to look are of course around your bed. Bed bugs like to stay near the source of their food, and also enjoy the heat you provide when sleeping. We also recommend looking around the bed though, as bedbugs may start to nest in furniture, skirting boards, headboards any anywhere else that offers some protection.
Once you find the bed bugs and can confirm that is what they are, we highly recommend getting in touch with a pest exterminator such as EZ Pest Exterminating. It may be possible to get rid of them yourself, but bed bugs can be hardy creatures, and if you miss even a few they may spread once again.