Feeling like something is crawling over you in the morning or are you constantly itchy? You might be one of the one in five Americans who have discovered a bed bug infestation in their home.
Bed bugs have made a frightening comeback in recent years. Up until 1939 when DDT was invented, there wasn’t much one could do to truly eradicate these pests completely.
How can you be sure you have bed bugs in your home? Here are five bed bug infestation signs to watch out for.
1. Rust Colored Spots
One of the most telltale signs of an early bed bug infestation is finding rust colored spots on your mattress and your furniture. These show up for a few reasons.
First of all, bed bugs are blood suckers. When you move around and squash them, they’ll pop, leaving blood stains on your furniture.
Their feces also leave behind rust colored stains. You’ll commonly find these hidden away in hard to reach areas like the underside of your mattress and even underneath wallpaper.
2. Itchiness and Insect Bites
Remember the old saying “goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite”? Well, bed bugs bite — most often when you’re sound asleep.
They like to bite exposed areas, like your face and limbs. If you don’t sleep well at night or wake up itching, you might have bed bugs.
Bed bug bites can look like mosquito or spider bites. To be sure, reach out to the pros, like this service, to keep you and your family bed bug bite-free.
3. Shells, Eggs, and Skin Flakes
Bed bugs shed their skin when they grow like many insects. They leave behind dried up husks which show up as flakes in the corners of your home.
Seeing white spots on your walls and furniture? If you see something that looks like shiny and white or translucent rice grains, you could be looking at bed bug eggs.
4. Must Smells
Once you’re beyond the stages of an early bed bug infestation, you’ll start noticing a musty odor coming from your room. A lot of bed bugs makes for a lot of bed bug smells.
This scent comes from bed bugs scent glands releasing pheromones into your home. If a room smells musty or like old food, you could have some unwanted visitors hanging out.
5. Spotting Them
You can see bed bugs with your naked eye, but it’s not always easy. If you really want to make sure you’ve got bed bugs, you can try to spot them in your room.
They like to hang out in the corners of mattresses and walls and only come out at night. Turn out the lights, grab a flashlight and a magnifying glass, and start searching.
Deal with a Bed Bug Infestation
Now that you know how to be sure you’ve got a bed bug infestation, you can take the next steps. Don’t go it alone — reach out to professionals to ensure your home is completely clear of them and that you and your family are safe.
Keep your home clean and your loved ones in the best shape possible. Check out our other health care and lifestyle articles to learn more.