Low-level bed bug infestations are as challenging as the major infestations. They can be very tricky since bed bugs, in this case, will be challenging to identify. You can always mistake a bed bug for carpet beetles and that misidentification can worsen your problems all the more. This is because with such a mistake, there is a great chance for bed bugs to spread around your homes without you noticing them at all. Manage this problem by learning the basics related to the life cycle of a bed bug that would guide you in identifying their presence. In addition, we have included some tips on how to actually spot bed bugs.

Understand the life stages they go through

A bed bug’s life largely depends on the blood meal they get. This is because they cannot push through the other six stages of their metamorphosis without having that blood meal. Bed bugs, at times would also feed more than once. There is also that basic thing linked to every stage of their life cycle and that is their skin will undergo molting before going to the next stage.

Also a very important part of their life stage is mating. During this point, bed bugs need to feed every 14 days at the very least. This is the way by which they can mate and produce eggs later on. By the time they are ready to produce, female bed bugs would lay up to 3 eggs daily or an equivalent of about 500 eggs throughout their lifetime.

Understand bed bug behaviour

It would be very difficult to observe bed bug behaviour through the naked eye. With some patience though, you can actually work this one out if you intend to prevent bed bug infestation. Often, bed bugs would prefer feeding on human beings but they would also prey on other mammals as well as birds. They would also undergo what is called harbourage where they would travel about 5 to 20 feet to feed on their hosts.

Know their living conditions

There are many ways by which bed bugs may survive. Generally though, they are active once the temperature of the area they live in is around 7°C. However, they can also die once their own body temperatures reach a high of 45°C. In order to kill these bugs, the room’s temperature should be hotter than the 45-degree Celsius mark. This will ensure that the temperature will reach the bugs at wherever they are hiding at the moment.

Look for warning signs

Remember that good old saying “Good night. Sleep tight. Don’t let the bed bugs bite.” Well, with this in mind, you can just hope it would be easy to spot a bed bug. The sad thing to note is that you cannot simply spot a bed bug with its bite. Sometimes, you may not even react to how it has bitten you or you may mistake it as a bite coming from another small creature.

How can you look for signs of bed bugs then? The more accurate way to spot possibilities of bed bug infestation would be to look for physical signs that come with the pest. You can simply do this by checking your bedding while cleaning your room. Physical signs of bed bugs commonly include dark spots that may bleed on the mattress or any other fabric. It would look like a dot from a black marker. Eggs and their shells of about 1 mm size can also be left on your mattress.

Spots where bed bugs commonly hide at

Bed bugs can hide in the tiniest spots in your homes and clothing. Commonly, they can be found on box springs but of course they would love to spread on other places too. Look closely into your mattress’ piping, tags and seams. They can also be found on bed frame cracks or even your headboard. In case your home or room is already heavily infested, you can find bed bugs in other things too from the seams of your couches and chairs to curtain folds and gaps between cushions. Check on other areas too such as wall papers, electrical receptacles and drawer joints. They can be found in between junctions of your walls and ceilings too.

Other ways to spot a bed bug

Spotting a bed bug can be seen through other things like brownish stains seen along mattress buttons and seams. This is a sign of its feces. You may also see some flaky objects around their feces which mean they may have shed their exoskeleton. You can also smell bed bugs when there is that sweet, musty odour in the air.

Spotting bed bugs around the home can be pretty difficult. However, with some guts and patience, you can certainly finish the job with flying colours. In case you worry about being able to spot bed bug infestation on your own, you can always seek the help of experts at Pest Free Living. We endeavour to help you manage these pests that are thriving in the tiny spots around your home.