HOW TO CHECK FOR BED BUGS?

Introduction

Bed bugs are small, reddish-brown insects that feed on human blood. They are often found in mattresses, bed frames, and other furniture. Bed bugs are difficult to get rid of once they infest your home, and their bites can cause itchy, red welts on your skin. Early detection is the key to preventing a full-blown infestation. In this article, we will discuss how to check for bed bugs and provide you with tips on how to prevent them from infesting your home.

What are Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are small insects that feed on human blood. They are usually active at night and can live up to a year without feeding. Bed bugs are reddish-brown and are about the size of an apple seed. They are commonly found in mattresses, box springs, and other furniture.

Signs of Bed Bugs

The following signs can indicate the presence of bed bugs:

Bites

Bed bugs feed on human blood, and their bites can cause itchy, red welts on your skin. The bites are usually arranged in a cluster or a line and are commonly found on the arms, legs, and face.

Bloodstains

If you wake up with bloodstains on your sheets or pillowcases, it could be a sign of bed bugs. The blood stains are a result of bed bugs being squished while feeding.

Fecal Matter

Bed bugs leave behind the fecal matter, which looks like tiny black dots, on mattresses, box springs, and furniture. This fecal matter is often found in clusters and can be a sign of a bed bug infestation.

Eggs and Eggshells

Bed bugs lay their eggs in small crevices and cracks. The eggs are white and about the size of a pinhead. If you see tiny white eggs or empty eggshells, it could be a sign of bed bugs.

Musty Odor

Bed bugs release a pheromone that gives off a musty odor. If you notice a musty odor in your bedroom or other areas of your home, it could be a sign of bed bugs.

15 STEPS TO CHECK FOR BED BUGS

As with any process, checking for bed bugs will need a plan too. We explained this plan step by step for making it more understandable.

Checking for bed bugs will have some goals and ways to achieve those goals. Here are the goals of a search for bed bugs:

  • Finding red stains on clothes or mattresses
  • Finding bed bug eggs
  • Seeing bedbugs themselves with naked eyes

Those goals above are strong or certain evidence of bed bug existence. When you get those signs, then it means you have bed bugs.

Here are 15 steps that you must follow to get those 3 evidence above and do your work in safe:

WHERE TO LOOK FOR BED BUGS?

The answer to this question is above. Maybe you can ask another question right now: Should I check so many points for bed bugs?

Yes, you should! Because bed bugs can be hiding anywhere in your house and checking for bed bugs mean looking for them in their possible hosts.

So, for making a good search for bed bugs, you must be very patient and know that this will take a long time. This process will also be tiring for you. Let’s look at the steps one by one.

CHECK FOR BED BUGS STEP BY STEP

STEP 1: WEAR YOUR GLOVES

You must wear gloves before starting to check for bed bugs because you will touch almost anywhere in your house and these places will usually be dirty.

You can also contact with bed bugs while searching for them and I’m sure you do not want to touch them with naked hands. The glove is very important and you shouldn’t miss this step. Gloves can protect your hands from being bitten by bed bugs and they will protect you from contact with the blood of bed bugs.

STEP 2: HAVE A FLASHLIGHT

Even if you check for bed bugs in the daytime, you will still need light; because most of those points that you will check will be dark like holes, cracks, or under furniture.

A small and strong flashlight will be very helpful to find bed bugs or see their signs with the naked eye.

STEP 3: REMOVE SHEETS

Every bed has a sheet above the mattress and that closed area between the sheet and mattress is a good hidden option for bed bugs.

So, you must remove all sheets on the mattresses and check them carefully if there are any bed bug signs there.

Remove the bedspread and shake it carefully. Then pull off the mattress protector and sheet. Go slowly so bed bugs don’t spread around the room. So you can see any signs of bed bugs if they are there.

STEP 4: SEARCH BED FRAME

After you remove the sheets, you must now search mattress and bed frame. Every single corner of the ed frame must be searched.

Bed bugs like to be close to their food sources. How close they become to you, so less they will be figured out by you. Because they don’t need to walk around to feed on you. They just move on your bed and suck you, then turn to their hosts easily and quickly.

Pull your bed away from the wall. Flip the mattress over. You can see bed bugs crawling at this time. Then lift the mattress so you can search the bed frame.

STEP 5: CHECK THE FURNITURE

I know you have a lot of furniture in your home and you wonder if you have to check them all or not! Yes, you have to check every single piece of furniture at home without missing even one of them.

You must check under or between furniture, look behind them, and search Bed Bug Visible or invisible parts of them like those on the wall side.

Search recliners and chairs. Look carefully at the folds between cushions and remove those large cushions so you see the furniture’s frame.

STEP 6: MOVE YOUR FURNITURE

Even if you can’t see anything by checking your furniture, you must still move them. Especially those furniture which are very low on the floor will not allow you to see under them.

So, you must move your furniture from somewhere to another and control it underneath. Push large furniture like a bed or couch to the middle of the room. After that, get down to the floor and use a credit card to search the baseboards. Bed bugs can hide in the space between the baseboards and walls so the credit card will help find them.

 STEP 7: DON’T FORGET THE CURTAINS

Curtains are not on the floor or attached to walls, but they are still near to floor and walls. Even though it’s very hard for bed bugs to live on curtains, you can find some evidence of them.

Bed bugs can leave signs like red stains and eggs or you can find any bed bug while just hiding there for any reason.

Open the curtains completely, then you can look into the folds where they may keep hiding.

STEP 8: CHECK DESK AND CHAIR LEG

Those legs of chairs and desks which are attached to the floor may become an ideal host for bed bugs. Especially if there are any cracks or spaces between the leg and the floor, bed bugs can prefer to hide there.

You can also turn the drawers upside down and look under them. Then crouch down and open the flashlight at the bottom of the desk or table.

STEP 9: CHECK THE ELECTRIC SOCKETS

Electric sockets on the wall are maybe not as stable as you think they are. There can be spaces between the socket and the wall where bed bugs move in and out easily.

Just check all electrical sockets on your wall carefully and try to find if there are any spaces behind them.

Remove electrical covers and look behind sockets. You must also check inside wall-mounted lamps. Remember that if you find bed bugs behind a socket, then they may be traveling among the electrical system so, you must check all electrical sockets very carefully.

Warning: Do not forget to shut down the electrical system completely before doing this step!

STEP 10: CHECK TOYS

I know it’s difficult to have bed bugs inside something that your kids play with regularly. But some toys just stay there behind the others and kids forget or leave playing with them.

A toy that doesn’t move for a long time and stays in a place away from people’s eyes can be a good option to hide from bed bugs.

You must check all toys in your house one by one and make sure that there aren’t any bed bugs inside or around them.

STEP 11: LIFT RUGS

However, most women keep cleaning their rugs regularly, they usually forget to check under them. If checking underneath ougs and carpets is forgotten for a long time, there can live some bugs.

You must lift your rugs und check what lives under them. If there are tears on the floor carpet, feel free to unpick it and look under it.

If your rug is covering a wooden floor, control the tiny spaces between the floor for finding bed bugs.

STEP 12: TORN WALLPAPERS

Normally, not only bed bugs but also any bug can move behind the wallpaper unless it’s torn. If you see a crack or torn piece on your wallpaper or wall, you must check to see what lies behind it.

Because if bed bugs can enter behind the wallpaper, then there will be an ideal place for bed bugs to keep away from your eyes.

You must also remove any pictures or mirrors and search behind them. Bed bugs can live iehind oirrors or pictures.

STEP 13: İNSIDE THE LAUNDRY BASKET

Laundries do not stay for a long time in a basket, because they will go to the laundry machine soon. But in some cases, for any reason, llaundryin the basket can stay there for a long time. I suggest you take a look at it to not miss anything.

STEP 14: CHECK OLD BOOKS

One of the most common ways to carry bed bugs is second-hand staff. An old book that you bought from a second-hand store can be the source of bed bugs.

So, you shouldn’t forget to search inside old books or even every single book in your house.

STEP 15: DON’T MISS DRAWER JOINTS

Sometimes bed bugs can hide very well and maybe you can’t see them inside your drawings. But you must also check drawer joints; because even if you can’t find bed bugs there, you can still find any signs of bed bugs.

WHERE CAN BED BUGS LIVE?

Additionally, bed bugs can be anywhere in your house. Bed bugs usually host anywhere within eight feet of their feeding point. That means that they could be hosting just anywhere in your house. The most common places are those that you can’t see or disturb often, like the corners of bookshelves, behind pictures, in your closet, or around bedside furniture. The more crowded your home is, the more places bed bugs will have to keep hiding.

WHAT IS THE FIRST SIGN OF BED BUGS?

In this post, you can find out how to check for bed bugs in your house. But the question is that what makes you start a search for them or what is the first sign of bed bugs?

There will be no first sign. Because signs of bed bugs are similar to other bugs’ signs just as very small eggs or red spots around.

But it is just the time to start a search when you find them together. You can also have no sign around but only being bitten, then this will be athevery best reason to check for bed bugs.

HOW SOON WILL YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE BED BUGS?

There is no certain time for this. In some cases, this happens iatjust the beginning of their visit. Unfortunately, some people realize a bed bug infestation only when they have it.

Consequently, if you’re lucky, you can see a be  bug walking around by your eyes or you get bitten rapidly so, you can start a detailed search for bed bugs.

Conclusion

If you ask this question “How to check for bed bugs?”, then there are two odds: You have bed bugs or you may have them.

Whatever happens, you must check for bed bugs in every single corner of your house. Because bed bugs can hide very well and once you find them, you’ll probably find them all together with their eggs which will make it easier to get rid of them.

Bed bugs love to live in lots and they like to be close to their feeding sources. They also don’t want to be disturbed often so, you must lift everypiece of  furniture and look inside every crack or hole while you’re checking for bed bugs.

Finding bed bugs isn’t easy but it’s not something impossible. You must be very patient, systematic and have a good plan for it. Prepare a to-do list that contains all points you have to check and search for all those points very carefully.

If you have enough budget for it, my final advice for you is to hire a professional pest control company. Because they will have an experience with hundreds of cases and they will make this search better for you.

FAQs

Can bed bugs infest other parts of my home besides my bedroom?

Yes, bed bugs can infest any part of your home where they can find a suitable hiding spot, such as living rooms and bathrooms.

Can bed bugs be killed with insecticides?

Yes, bed bugs can be killed with insecticides, but it’s important to use a product that is specifically designed for bed bugs