6 Early Bed Bug Detection Signs

As you grow up, you realize the comfort provided by your bedroom is unmatched. You can take a month-long trip to the Bahamas, but nothing compares to the familiarity of your own home. Any time something disturbs this comfort, you’re filled with rage. We completely understand your frustration and hope to help you feel more in control.

After all, seeing a bug or two in your home isn’t usually alarming. However, it’s a completely different story if they’re bed bugs. They are some of the most stubborn household pests to get rid of. They’ll enter your house without a peep and crawl into the darkest of crevices without anyone noticing. 

Summary

If you’re concerned about bed bugs, you should know that the most common early detection sign is blood stains on the sheets. The two most notable other early detection signs of bed bugs are fecal stains and bed bug eggs.

In this article, we’ll also go over the following:

  • The best products to get rid of bed bugs
  • Things they hate

Continue reading

bed bugs on white cloth

Bed bugs might be annoying, but they’re not the smartest, especially when faced with a vigilante homeowner. The best way to get rid of these bugs is to finish them off in the early stages. Before they take over your favorite sheets, try to kill them. Once you get through to them before they can reproduce, you might just win the battle.

We understand that a bed bug infestation can be a big nuisance, so we will tell you how to outsmart these bugs and identify them early on. After all, who wouldn’t want to lead a life free of bugs and all the stress they bring along?  

Table of Contents

Bed Bug Blood Stains on Sheets & Early Detection Signs

Bed bugs are quiet pests that slowly make your mattress their haven. Even so, you can identify an infestation in its initial stages with enough vigilance. All you need to do is put on your detective hat, and we’ll tell you what to look for. Here are early detection signs besides bed bug blood stains on the sheets.

1. Blood stains

Blood stains are the most obvious way these pesky creatures leave proof of their existence. Bed bugs are fast-moving creatures that can’t fly, which leads to accidental crushing. The digested blood spills over the sheets if they’ve just recently been fed. These stains become quite obvious if your sheets are light-colored, as they leave a rusty-red stain behind.  

Usually, the bites are quite itchy. You might even scratch them in your sleep unknowingly. This unconscious scratching can tear the skin and make the bite bleed. The blood stains on your sheets might be from the bites too. So it’s safe to assume that any time you see a blood stain, you must divert your attention toward an infestation. 

2. Fecal stains

Like all living creatures, these creepy critters excrete too. The worst part is they use human beds as their toilets. As gross as that sounds, they even leave behind small dark posts on sheets. These stains are caused by the blood digested by these bugs. They can seem brown to black, depending on how old they are. 

Sometimes, these stains fade to a more yellowish-tan color as crushed bed bug eggs and excrement get moved around. Usually, you’ll find these stains where the creepers’ nest is. Good luck finding the hiding place because it could be anywhere from the cracks in your bed to the space in your sofas.

3. Live bed bugs

Bed bugs prefer to live close to their host and nest in places where humans like to sit. Other than your sheets and duvet covers, they also reside within:

  • sofas
  • carpets
  • chair seams
  • and sometimes even curtains.

Besides tremendous hiding skills, the critters have neither super speed nor flying skills. The lack of any additional skill leaves them vulnerable. As a result, they developed the one quality that makes them more deadly – their hurried ability to crawl away from danger. Most of the time, this isn’t the best solution. But often, they can make a clean getaway.

You’re more likely to notice these bugs if you’re a night owl, as the bugs are most active at night. Check inside every crevice and crease, and fold in whatever furniture you like to sit on. 

Places where bed bugs hide
ChairsBackpacksShoes
Hardwood floors (cracks)Brick walls (holes)Curtains
BooksLight fixturesBox spring
ClothesMoldingsLuggage
DrawersOutletsArtwork
BedsSofas
person looking for bed bugs

4. Eggs

If you have a keen eye, then you might even be able to notice the remarkably tiny eggs. These eggs are barely 1 mm and translucent, making them hard to spot. But an adult bed bug lays about 250 eggs in its life, enough to make them somewhat noticeable. Usually, they can be found stuck to hard surfaces. If you have wooden furniture, you may be able to detect them easily. After these eggs hatch, they leave behind hollow shells. From what it seems, they leave behind clues to help you finish your quest against defeating the pesky creature.

5. Shells

As these creepers mature, they shed their old skin and leave behind exoskeleton shells. They’re usually translucent, yellowish-brown in color, and the same shape as a bed bug. You might confuse them for a live bug.

6. A distinct odor

Does your bedroom smell different all of a sudden? Well, that could also be a subtle sign of an infestation. If the odor seems to have no apparent cause, it could be the dreaded creature’s pheromones in the air. When these bugs feel threatened, they release alarm pheromones that might make the room smell musty. 

The scent can differ from house to house. Some say the scent is acidic. Some say it’s almost sweet-smelling, like almonds. 

6. Blood stains

With light-colored sheets, you’ve to be extra cautious when drinking or eating in between the sheets. Such covers are quick to stain and require additional care. However, it helps in identifying a potential insect infestation. If you wake up to spots of dried blood, you may want to search for these foul-smelling bugs thoroughly.

What do the eggs look like?

Bed bug eggs have the tiniest size out of the whole life cycle. They’re only 1 mm, which is the size of a pinhead. They’re pearly white in color. Once they’re five days old, an eye spot appears on them. They hatch after just a week, leaving behind a translucent shell. If you thought identifying adult-sized critters would be an issue, this is an entirely advanced problem. 

Usually, these eggs are found in mattresses or cushions since they need a dark place where they’ll remain undisturbed. However, you can also find them inside the cracks of a wall, floorboards, or small dark crevices. You’ll rarely find a single egg in a place because they are always laid in clusters. These eggs also produce a foul smell wherever they’re laid. Nearby, you might even find small white nymphs crawling around. 

bed bugs

As if these qualities weren’t already gross enough, these eggs are sticky too. That’s also why bed bug eggs don’t move around on a mattress. The female bed bugs use a glue-like material to ensure the eggs stick to all sorts of surfaces. You might even see small white cylinders on the edge of a mattress seam or the back of the headboard.  

If you’re still having trouble finding these eggs, try using a black light as they glow under it. 

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