The key signs and symptoms of bed bugs are the main bodily reactions. These often show up when this pest bites you. Watch out for intense itching, inflammation, welts on the skin, hives, red bumps, swelling, fever, and joint aches.
People who complain of bed bug bites typically live in homes where there has been an infestation. Another reason is family members or friends who complained about their bite marks.
Individuals will sometimes say they were not aware of any infestations around them but still got bites. This is very frustrating for people because it means they cannot pinpoint where or how they came into contact with the parasites.
What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?
Adult bed bugs are reddish-brown and about the size of an apple seed. They do not fly but they can crawl very fast! This lets them transfer from one area to another quickly! Besides being so small, they have a flat body shape that allows them to hide in tight cracks and crevices. Take it as their key for survival.
A bed bug egg is 1/32 inches long. After feeding, adults grow to about 3/16 inches. They will not expand due to their lack of nutrition. Food sources such as human blood or animal products like fur may also become inadequate. They can grow to a length of 5mm or 0.2 inches after dining on an insect meal.
Where Do They Hide?
The key places where you can find a bed bug include mattress seams, especially around the headboard; bed frames, bed stands or walls near the bed, nightstands next to beds with wooden furniture legs. These can allow easy access inside when people come down with bites at night.
Detecting Bed Bugs
One key sign of bed bugs is their blood smears on the surface of your mattress. Another main sign of them is little brown or rust-colored stains on your sheets, pillowcases, mattresses, and box springs. This occurs after being crushed during key moments in bedding activities like sitting or lying down. Look at a major sign of bed bugs in the presence of skins.
Observe adult and baby bugs as well as shed skins with an insect’s key characteristic: a broad, flattened body that has five sections. It has a head, antennae, thorax, and abdomen sections.
A primary symptom of bed bugs is spotting black droppings on your sheets or mattress. After they feed for about ten minutes, they defecate and leave their waste everywhere they go. As such, check around your bedroom to see if you can find any signs like small brown stains.
What are The Signs of Bed Bugs?
When it is your first time to see bed bugs, take note of many signs that come from them. Below is a guide:
Red and Itchy Bites
People are often key informants for this main sign because it is very visible. These are signs of bed bug bites. It can become inflamed if you try to scratch them. This can cause a major sign of bed bugs: inflammation. Red and itchy bites occur due to the primary place where the pests feed on your blood. This is why there are key signs of bed bugs in their presence: swelling, redness, and itchiness.
Blood Stains (Rust Spots) in Beds
You should also take note of dark spots or stains around your mattress or bed sheets. These key signs indicate that these parasites bit you during moments in bedding activities. When crushed, they leave behind a dark stain from an oily secretion that covers their bodies called “bed bug pigment.”
If you look at the mattress with a flashlight held directly above it, key signs of bed bugs start to show up right away! You can see blood spots from their previous meals spread out over the surface area under the light. This makes it easier for you to detect their presence early before an infestation spreads.
Uncomfortable and Sleepless Nights
You can also key in on this sign. A hard time sleeping well at night might come from key signs of bed bugs. These insects try to come out more when you are about to go to sleep. They can attack your body while you lie down or sit on your mattress. As such, a strong signal that indicates their presence is the lack of restful sleep at night.
Bites in Arms and Shoulders
Another sign of bed bugs bites is the possibility of itching for days. When you scratch them, they may become inflamed. You will feel itchy in key areas such as elbows, shoulders, arms, and back. Make sure that when your child is sleeping at night, they are not having these signs.
Musty Odor
There are key signs that come from bed bugs in the presence of a musty odor. You can recognize it when you start to notice an earthy or moldy smell coming from things like your mattress or walls.
Bed Bugs Clinging to Clothes
Take their presence on the clothing items that you use. If you wear pajamas or slip into your clothes after spending time in bed, they can cling to these material objects and thrive there.
Other Signs of Bed Bugs
Bed Bugs Can Run Very Fast
The key indicator here is the pest’s key characteristic: its ability to move fast, especially when crawling horizontally or trying to evade you. Their main feature is that they have six legs and two antennae with sensory organs on each part of their bodies. They also have a round-shaped body that gives them the size advantage over other insects.
Visible Nymphs and Cast Skins
With key signs of bed bugs, you may notice tiny blood spots on your sheets after waking up in the morning or see eggshells around your room. These indicate top signs of bed bugs. The eggs are white, sticky, and about half the size of a pinhead.
What Should You Do If You Have a Bed Bug Infestation?
Consider these key signs of bed bugs when checking for them in your home. Also, choose professional treatments such as services from a pest control company in the Tri-state area if needed. Some signs require bed bug treatment immediately before they spread out more. Prevent the breed of an infestation through your furnishings and belongings.
