To People Who Want To Detect Bed Bugs -- But Can't Get Started

By: Leo Howland Click author's name for more of his/her articles

You may be trying to decide if you are the victim of bed bugs. You have been noticing some strange marks or bites when you wake up in the morning but don't know for sure what caused them.

In this article we will explain a few simple methods of determining if you are being bitten. Specifically, we will discuss bed bug bites, using a sticky trap to catch a bed bug, and looking for telltale spots and stains on the bedding. After reading this information you should be able to detect bed bugs in your home.

Bed bug bite marks are not always a good indicator of how bad the infestation is. Some people don't show any reaction to the bites until at least six months of being regularity bitten at night. The bite marks tend to resemble a mosquito bite or other small insect bite. One telltale sign of a bed bug attack is the bites may be grouped into 3 or 4 bites in a row. There are better ways of positively identifying the problem such as using a sticky trap.

A sticky trap for bed bugs is simply a sticky surface that the little insect becomes trapped on if it travels across the trap. The simplest form is a roll of double sided tape. Simply place a few strips along the side and edge of the bed mattress. Check the tape in the morning to see if any of the bugs have become trapped. Another good place to put the tape is along the base boards in the room or by the electrical outlets. The idea is to capture a few of the bugs for positive identification by your exterminator.

Another sign of bed bug problems is small reddish brown spots or streaks on your bedding. This is the small blood droppings of the insect after it feeds. These will resemble small flecks of blood and may be quite hard to see so you will have to look closely. Check in the folds and creases in the mattress.

The bed bugs will hide in any place they can excape from the light of day. Open up the seams by spreading them apart with your fingers and look for the brown flecks and even live bed bugs. They will scurry away from the bright light and find another place to slip into.

In areas that harbor a very bad infestion of bed bugs, you may notice a musy rasberry odor that the bed bugs secrete when they are present in very large numbers. If you enter a room and there is a strange smell, take that as a sign that further investigation is necessary before commiting to spend the night and exposing yourself and your loved ones to bed bug bites.

There are many more methods to detect and deal with the problems of bed bugs however, by using your powers of observation and these simple methods of checking for bites, applying sticky tape to trap the bed bug, and inspecting your bedding for reddish specks, you will be able to readily detect bed bugs in your home and decide if you need to