Suspecting bed bugs, many people turn to online resources for signs of a bed bug infestation. The lined bite marks, dried droplets of blood, molten skin, and other red flags point to bed bugs. Where the vampire-like insects do not spread any known diseases, the constant pilfering of your blood leaving itchy, red welt marks is more than a nuisance. Where you might search the bed for signs of these nasty blood-lusting criminals, you may not find any, second guessing what pest is creeping into your bed at night. Today, we at Bed Bug Free would like to share where to look for bed bugs. Bed bugs are nocturnal, so during the day they look for dark corners to hideout in until their next meal. Follow these steps to find their hiding spots.
Bed Bug Inspection Tools
Bed bugs are very small, not even as big as an apple seed. They could easily slip out of sight and squeeze themselves in the littlest cracks due to their tiny stature and remain undetected. Grab a flashlight before starting your hunt. As tiny as they are, a magnifying glass can help as well. As small as they are, some will mistake bed bugs for fleas, and vice versa, so a magnifying glass can help you confirm the insect in question. Bed bugs are a grayish brown color except after eating they a reddish. Being a flat bug, they also become engorged on blood after eating.
Bed Bug Search
Start the search in the area you believed them to be at last. Starting in the area they were last seen or active is the best place to start, because they are likely in the vicinity. They don’t stray too far away from their meal source if they don’t have to. Search the mattress, box spring, head board, and frame first. Be sure to check the crevices and flaps. From there inspect the night stand or other nearby locations.
Inspect Adjacent Spots for Bed Bugs
If no bed bugs are spotted, expand the search. Look in adjacent furnishings, behind baseboards and so on. Inspect the areas carefully because they can be easily missed. Check the curtains, curtain rod, surround wall décor and so on. Bed bugs will hide nearly anywhere so even look in unconventional spots.
Follow the Bed Bug Clues
Bed bugs will leave trails of evidence behind. Such signs include bed bug secretions that are small particles of dried blood they were unable to digest and had to secrete. The color is often a darker red or maroon shade. Over time, they can also look black. Another sign is the skin, or shells that is their outer skeleton the bed bugs will shed when they advance into a new lifecycle. They often leave their shells near their hideouts. Bed bugs will emit a smell that is fairly identifiable to bed bugs. In large numbers, as they hunch together in an area, they smell is more concentrated and obvious; which is a bit musty and sweet scent.
Check Every Crack & Crevice for Bed Bugs
The bed bugs’ minuscule size enables them to hide even in the smallest of spaces, which is why you are armed yourself with a flashlight and magnifying glass. To confirm a bed bug infestation, searching for bed bugs can be a task as you have to sure in every crack and crevice.
Bed Bug Inspections & Removal in Greater Cleveland area as well as Akron, Canton, Solon, Parma, Medina, OH | NE and NW Ohio
Where looking for bed bugs can be a rather time consuming and tedious process, hiring a professional from Bed Bug Free to perform a bed bug inspection to confirm bed bugs is a much better idea as a bed bug infestation will get much worse if not addressed! Call us today.
