What do bed bugs look like on a mattress?

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For all mattress users, whether they are at homes, apartments, or hotels, there is nothing more unpleasant than having bed bugs. After confirming that your mattress is really exposed to bed bugs, it is necessary to remove the infestation and it is generally a long and difficult process.
Therefore I have put together a complete guide on the early signs of bed bugs and how to remove bed bugs. The most logical method to eradicate bed bugs completely is to contact the local pest control company and take help from professionals to get rid of bed bugs.

How to identify the signs of early bed bug infestations?

If there is any bed bug at your home or mattress, you often can’t know immediately. There are some signs that are shown after a week or month and you realize the presence of bed bugs. These signs include;

1. Bed Bug bites

If your mattress has bed bugs, then you feel itchiness and red welts on your skin. There are many kinds of insects that can bite you at night. But if it is a bed bug, then there are sequences of 3 or 4 welts in a row and it is a common thing for bed bugs. Some people do not notice the sign and some are very sensitive and find them itchy.

2. Blood stain on sheets

The other sign is blood stains that are found on your sheets. There are two reasons for these stains;
1. When the bed bugs bite you and move away, there may be a chance that this is fresh blood from your skin that is transferred to the sheet.
2. While sleeping, if you cause movement, there may be a chance that you might crush a bug unluckily which results in a blood stain on your sheet.

3. Find dark specks on your sheets

If you find some dark spots on your sheets, it is due to bed bug infestation. The dark spots are black, brown, and reddish-brown in colour. When the infestation grows, these spots of different colours may appear. It is due to crushing and dropping the bed bugs. If the epidemic is newer, there are clusters of spots. If it is going on for a time, then the spots are spread out on the sheet.

4. Musty Smelly Around Your Mattress

If you find a musty smell when you are around your mattress or sit on it, then it must be due to bed bug infestation. When the bed bug settles on your mattress, it starts emitting its pheromones. This smell can appear different to different people i.e some feel it sweet or some bad. The crushed bugs smell is mixed with pheromones when the infestation grows. It is an unpleasant smell.

5. Find a bed bug

The solid confirmation of bed bug infection is seen live. The casing of bed bugs varies according to their size like all living things, bugs also progress via their life stages. They also shed their exoskeleton and have translucent casings with a yellow tint. Usually, bed bugs are small, brown in colour, and look like apple seeds.

What should I do when finding a bed bug?

If you confirm that your mattress has a bed bug infestation and you also see a bed bug alive. Then immediately contact the pest control company. It is the perfect way to remove the bed bug infestation 100%. If they can not come to your contact on the same day, there are some tips to reduce the infestation up till the exterminators arrive.

1. Find the bed bug Harborage Sites

It is considered that bed bugs are well-known for hiding in any place. If you want to find them, then strip the bed sheets and put them in a plastic bag. It is done to stop the hiding bug from spreading in your sheets. The hiding place includes bedsheets, mattresses, pillows, and bed frames if the infestation is newer. But if it is going on for a long time, then bed bugs can spread to your sofas and baseboards.

2. Launder the bedding on high heat

After removing the bedding such as bed sheets, pillows, and protective covers, put them in a container. To treat bed bugs, heat is one of the coherent ways that you can easily do before the arrival of professionals. It will assist in killing bugs as well as their babies which are spread in your sheets.

3. Inspect and Remove Cluster

As we have told you, bed bugs are able to hide in any place. It is good to examine everything within a five-foot radius if you want a bed bug proof environment while sleeping. Clean up the sheet having more clusters as much as possible.

4. Install Bed bug interceptors

If you are willing to trap bugs when they are moving around or falling, then you have to do bed bug interceptors. It is the best way to help to trap the bugs. It is plastic made that is placed under the frame of your bed. They can travel upward very hardly on smooth surfaces. The use of interceptors can easily prevent the bugs from escaping because of having a tall moat on all sides.

5. Install a Mattress Encasement

You can also use mattress encasement to handle bed bugs without the help of a professional. The encasement is used to pass out the bed bugs if they are just located on your mattress. It can trap bed bugs in it and you can use it for six months. It completely covers the mattress and is also called bedbug-proof. You can easily purchase it from the market or also can order it online. There are varieties of encasements that are 100% bedbug-proof.

Conclusion

Hope you have read the complete article about how to find a bed bug on your bed. There we discussed all possible tips to trap the bed bugs. We made it clear how to get rid of bedbugs and identify the signs of bed bugs. Hope all those things will prove very helpful to you. Please do inform us via comments if you find any mistakes, and we will come back soon with more information. Keep on following our website.

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By Muhammad Asim