How to Tell if Your Bed Has Bed Bugs

By: Robert Thomson Click author's name for more of his/her articles

While bed bugs are essentially harmless, they are nevertheless pests that you will not want to have in your home or hotel room. Can you imagine being a host to tiny little blood sucking creatures while you sleep? Not a pleasant thought.

The Stigma of Bed Bugs

Because of their blood sucking feeding habits and their elusive nature, bed bugs have a nasty reputation. They are commonly associated with bad hygiene and dingy hotels and therefore also carry a bit of a social stigma. If a guest finds bed bugs in their hotel room they most certainly are likely to give it a bad review and never return. Similarly, if friends have bites after staying in your home they'll probably be too embarrassed to tell you - and may never return either, at least not to sleep.

Unfortunately bed bugs really aren't that discriminating and they are increasingly being found in up-market hotels, apartments and houses. Though bed bug bites are not known to have serious medical consequences, the bites are itchy and unpleasant. Also once people are aware of bed bugs they may feel nervous about going to bed, thus ending up with sleepless nights.

Why Suspect You Have Bed Bugs?

Because they are small creatures and generally avoid sunlight, bed bugs are often not detected until they become a larger infestation. They got their name because they are generally found in mattresses and cushions. From the bug's point of view it's because they want to be near a host. Bed bugs feed off the blood of humans and is most convenient to do at night when people are sleeping.

Typically people will discover small, itchy red bites on their skin, though sometimes the redness only develops a few days later. They can occur anywhere on the body and are often clustered together in a linear pattern. They can usually be found in areas where the veins are close to the skin's surface. A visit to your local pharmacy or doctor will be able to give you confirmation that the bites are indeed from bed bugs.

How to Check for Bed Bugs

Bed bugs can be seen by the naked eye and are generally 5mm long when adult. They are reddish brown in color, are wingless and have flat rounded bodies. The nymphs are only 1mm and are translucent so are a little more difficult to spot. Bed bugs move by crawling and don't like sunlight, so they generally only come out at night. You can check for bed bugs by making a visual inspection of the bed and surrounding areas. Bed bugs tend to hide in cracks, folds and crevasses when inactive. You can use a magnifying glass and small card to help you inspect an area. Ensure that you carefully check headboards, bedside tables, mattresses, bed linen, bedside lamps, wallpaper joints, carpets, bed throws and curtains. Bed bugs typically like fabric and wood so inspect the bed frame as well, particularly in places where there are cracks and joints.

Other Indications of Bed Bugs

While you may not be able to spot the actual bed bugs, another thing you could look for are small blood stains or brown excreta on bed sheets, walls and mattresses. These are left by bugs while they are feeding and moving around. Often the bites occur in a linear pattern because the bug is disturbed by the host moving while they are feeding. They will typically move to another nearby area on the skin and sometimes a tiny blood spot remains on the bed linen as a result.

What Could Cause You to Get an Infestation of Bed Bugs in Your Home?

Experts suspect that bed bugs have increased due to people traveling more internationally. You could inadvertently pick up bedbugs from a hotel room or guesthouse, or visitors from abroad staying in your home could unknowingly bring bed bugs with them. If you have been traveling it's a good idea to launder your travel clothes separately and dry clean them if possible. After having guests, be sure to clean the room and bedding thoroughly. It's always a good idea to wash the bed linens separately and at as high a temperature as possible.

Having said all of this, bed bugs are easy to exterminate once you've established they are in your home. There are a variety of treatments and solutions which can help you get rid of them. If you have children or pets then it's best to use a reputable pest control company who has non-chemical and environmentally friendly solutions. This will ensure that your home remains a safe and healthy environment.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

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