How to check for bed bugs is a very important step to take when you are dealing with these little creatures. They infest many areas throughout the world, including the United States, Europe, and some parts of Asia. These bugs have a wide range of names, including Harlequin bugs, which are found in France and are referred to as “leopard bugs.” More recently, they have been known as “ground beetles” in Britain and the United States. This is due to the tendency for these bugs to burrow tunnels under and around human dwellings, or other objects that they infest.
The first step on how to check for bed bugs involves carefully removing any loose garments that may be attached to bed linens. They can attach themselves very easily to clothes, luggage, throw pillows, mattresses, and practically any other household item. Their flattened bodies make them very easy to slip inside tight spaces, even those with a slightly width of an adult credit card. But bedbug bites do not usually have a soft center, although they tend to come in rounded shapes. Instead, the center of a bed bug bite is composed of a tough outer skin surrounded by a soft inner skin that can be very difficult to clean.
Another tip on how to check for bed bugs involves examining boxes springs. Box springs should always be checked for nymphs – small insects that develop inside the box spring and feed off of the human body until it becomes fully grown. If you find these inside your box springs, then you should know that your bedding has been infested by bedbugs. Adult bugs can flatten themselves into very tiny sizes, which means that even a very small bite can give them an advantage over many of us. They can squeeze their bodies into tight spaces, hide, and wait for a victim.
As an example, suppose you wake up in the middle of the night in your own bed and discover that you are wearing wedding. This would indicate the possibility that there are adult bed bugs residing within your mattress. The most common symptom that would accompany such an infestation is that the entire bedding would be covered with what seems like thousands of little red welts. However, there are also certain signs that can signal that you are dealing with an infestation, regardless of whether or not you believe there are adult bed bugs within the bedding.
One of the easiest ways of how to check for bed bugs is through a very specific method that involves observing for certain physical changes. When an infestation is present, it is almost always noticeable that the bedding is covered with what appear to be fecal stains. This is usually caused by the female bedbugs burrowing tunnels into the mattress material. However, if you find this happening, then you can be pretty sure that there are live bedbugs inside your residence. If you suspect that there are live ones in the vicinity, then you should contact pest management immediately.
Another way of how to check for bed bugs involves checking for droppings. Although this is a rather tricky method, it can provide you with the most accurate results. You may have to inspect every part of the entire bedding in order to get all the droppings, but this can be very time consuming and costly. Therefore, if you do not have the resources to employ, then this method may not be for you.
You may also want to look in your attic. In case your attic is also infested with bed bugs, then there is a high chance that these critters have also penetrated into the upper portions of the house. When this happens, then the infestation can spread to other rooms and even the rest of the house. Even though you may use your air cleaner in your attic regularly, if you are still unaware of the infestation there, then you may never know whether bedbugs have made their way into your home and killed off your family.
In order to avoid coming into contact with these blood-sucking insects, you should take extra care when selecting bedding. Since bed bugs like to hide in sleeping areas, you should be keen enough to know how to check for bed bugs in your own household as well. If you have kids or pets, then you should consider purchasing new mattress covers, sheets and blankets. These are usually the most common places where bed bugs are living and reproducing, hence the reason why they are hiding in them. If you discover them, then you can take the proper steps to exterminate the whole infestation. Since bed bugs usually lay their eggs in cushions and mattresses, it is advisable that you clean the bedding before storing it for the night so that the next day you do not have to deal with them.