How can I tell if we have bed bugs?

If you ever had to wake up in the middle of the night to a recurring itch on some parts of your body from bites, it is most likely that they are – bedbug bites. The question is, How can I tell if I have bed bugs? In this article, I will show you signs to look for and how to ascertain the presence of an infestation.

Know the bug

These Parasites are not airborne, but they are, however, known to travel really fast over walls, ceilings, floors and as a matter of fact, anything they get a grip on. These tiny pests are crimson in color, oval in shape and very small in size. They are known to feed off the blood of humans. This gives them their distinct coloration because after feeding their bodies get swollen.

The adult females are very fast in laying eggs, at a rate of about 2 to 4 times a day, and numerous hundreds through their entire lifetime. The eggs are very tiny, just like the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen, which appear white and sticky.

Bedbugs are not known to transmit any form of diseases, but their bites could cause harm to those that suffer from bite-related allergies.

One quick way to know if you have bedbugs is to identify their possible hideouts. checking such places out, you will notice the following signs, if yes, you have a bedbug problem that requires immediate attention.

Signs

• Offensive smell from its scent glands; they give off an offensive smell that is impossible to miss. This dominates an area and tends to be continuous for hours.
• Bloodstain on your beddings; Due to the fact that they ingest so much blood, they become incapacitated to move fast as before, hence the host tends to lie over them and cause a rupture on impact, leaving the stains you find on your beddings and furniture.
• Dark or rusty spots of bedbug excrement; Bedbugs leave rusty dark spots when they excrete, usually arrayed in a cluster on sheets, walls, beddings, mattresses, furniture and sometimes metal furniture.
• They shed skins in areas where they hide; This is a peculiar characteristic of this tiny pest, one you ought to look out for.

Where They Hide

Bedbugs are known to always move in groups, the gimmick is, finding one enhances the chances of spotting another closeby. They hide in places where they easily gain access to blood, and because they cannot jump like fleas, you usually find them hidden in matrasses, bedframes (wooden or metal) and your clothing. Their flat bodies make it possible for them to fit in very tiny spaces, cracks and crevices.

How do bed bugs travel?

Bedbugs travel through materials that you use constantly like clothing, luggage, couches, beds and other forms of furniture. Sometimes they may move through books, or houses with numerous rooms, like hotels, offices, complexes and the likes.

Based on the steps illustrating how to tell if we have bed bugs, these insects are not so difficult to spot after all. Once they begin to find shelter in your home, you must ensure to take the necessary moves and do away with them as soon as possible.