How to Tell If You Have Bed Bugs

by lopc · Published April 30, 2012 · Updated August 8, 2023

Photo Credit: whatdobedbugslooklike.net

Just the idea of hidden little bugs biting you in your sleep is enough to make your skin crawl. Bed bugs are not a new problem but the issue of infestation has been increasing. Here are a few ways you can tell if your bug problem is bed bugs.

Bloody looking smears on bedding or mattress from crushed insects
Dark spots or smears on your sheets, mattress or box springs
Bites that happen overnight leaving irritated red welts
You see small reddish bugs on your bedding or mattress
Molted or shed bug skins

Bed bugs are probably the most complicated pest you will ever encounter in a home or business. They are NOT a sign of a dirty home or business, they can infest well cared for establishments with disturbing ease. Just finding them can be a difficult task to undertake but here are a few hints to help you find them;

Remove bedding (including bed skirts) from your bed to inspect carefully for small red or black smears and spots.
Use a flashlight and magnifying glass to check seams, under mattress buttons if you have them, and the frame of the bed for these hidden pests.
Bed bugs can hide in nearby furniture around your bedroom too like on window sills, in curtains and drapes, and even in dresser drawers. Be sure to remove bedside table drawers and thoroughly inspect them top to bottom, these bugs are sneaky little things.
Make sure to check the headboard and footboard of the bed. Joints where wood joins are especially good hiding places.
Check pet bedding and areas where your pets like to sleep such as on and under area rugs.

It is advisable to save a live bed bug sample in a zip-lock type sandwich baggie. This is because only sure way to know you have a bed bug infestation is to positively identify the live bed bug. Have the bug inspected by a pest control specialist, they can tell you if it is indeed a bed bug or something else.

If you think you may have a bed bug problem, give Live Oak Pest Control a call at (386) 362-3887 and we’ll send out a trained specialist. Make sure to act fast, these bugs can multiply and spread quickly throughout your home. The sooner you treat the infestation the sooner the relief for your family and pets.