How Do I Know If I Have Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are small, oval-shaped, brown bugs about the size and shape of an apple seed. They feed off of the blood of humans and animals, and after they eat, their bodies swell with the blood they just took in, similar to a mosquito. Bed bugs can mature in a month’s time and can produce three more generations of bed bugs within a year. This is why it is important to catch bed bugs as early as possible before a small infestation grows into a big one.

Bed bugs find their way into our homes on our luggage, purses, clothing, used couches or beds, or on our person. They typically reside in mattresses and box springs or on the bed frame itself, where they will have easy access to feeding on your blood at night while you sleep.

Bed bug bites are one way to identify if you have bed bugs. The bites are small, red, raised bumps and look similar to other bug bites like mosquitoes, fleas, and spider bites. If you wake up with bites like these, it’s best to inspect your mattress and bed frame for signs of the pests.

You should also inspect your mattress. When inspecting your mattress, look for small reddish, brown stains. These are from the bed bugs being crushed or from bed bug excrement. Look for eggs and eggshells, as well. You can also look for the live bed bugs themselves in the places they like to hide, such as the seams of the mattress and cracks and joints of the bed frame.

If you think you have bed bugs, you can start to get rid of them by washing all bedding and scrubbing your mattress with a bristle brush to scrape out the bed bugs, but professional chemical treatments are the only way to ensure you’ll kill all of them. Bed bugs can live without feeding for up to a year, so they are difficult to kill. Call us at Total Pest Solutions, and we can help you get rid of your bed bugs for good!