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Bed Bug Identification

July 20th, 2009 Posted in Bed Bugs & Fleas

If you suspect that bugs have invaded your home, don’t jump to conclusions. A wrong diagnosis of the type of bug that has made its way into your domain can result in a lot of effort and few results.

In the case of bed bugs, there are appropriate steps to take in terms of identification and eventual annihilation.

Signs of Bed Bug Infestation

Adult bed bugs:

• Brown to reddish-brown
• Have small, nonfunctional wing pads
• Shaped like a flat oval that reaches about 1/5 inch long

After a meal of human blood, their body becomes more swollen and dark. They eat with a beak-like piercing-sucking mouth.

Newly hatched nymphs are nearly colorless, becoming brownish as they mature.

Bed bugs also resemble a number of closely related insects including bat bugs, chimney swift bugs, and swallow bugs.

Bed bugs can often be found in the following locations:

• Folds and creases in bed linens
• Mattress seams
• Curtain pleats
• Corners of desks or drawers
• In laundry

The following are reasons to suspect a bed bug infestation:

• If residents complain of bites that occurred while sleeping
• Dark brown or reddish fecal spots of bed bugs are apparent on the bed linens, mattress or walls near the bed
• A peculiar coriander-like odor may be detected in some heavily infested residences

Steps to Take to Find the Bugs

Don’t panic. Although bed bugs can be annoying, they can be battled safely and successfully. Prevention is the #1 way of getting rid of bed bugs.

• Carefully inspect. Check out the bed frame, mattress, and other furniture for signs of bed bugs and their eggs. Although dead bed bugs cast bug skins and blood spots may indicate an infestation occurred previously, they do not confirm that an infestation is still active. Search for live bugs that are actually crawling and ensure that they are bed bugs before treating.
• Reduce clutter. By having boxes, clothing and general clutter lay around, you are actually helping these bugs hide. Limit their hiding potential by keeping a tidy home.
• Thoroughly clean. Scrub infested surfaces to remove laid eggs, and use a powerful vacuum to remove bed bugs from cracks and crevices. Dismantling bed frames will expose additional bug hiding sites. Remove drawers from desks and dressers and turn furniture over to inspect every possible crevice.

Alyse Popp