Quickly detect a bed bug infestation by learning how to recognize the signs of infestation and the symptoms that they cause. These signs of bed bug infestation and the symptoms that it causes are easily recognizable as long as you know how to identify them. Bed bugs are hematophagic—that is, they feed on blood. The most common species—and the one best suited to the human environment—is Cimex Lectularius, identifiable by its brown/red colour and its flat, oval body that resembles an apple seed once fully grown. Despite its discretion, the indications of a bed bug infestation don’t lie.

What are the signs of a bed bug infestation?

Would you like to know how to find bed bugs? To properly recognize the signs of a bed bug infestation, it is recommended to equip yourself with a small flashlight and a small knife. They will be valuable to you when it comes to spotting them better.

The main signs of infestation to look for are the bed bugs themselves, bed bug carcasses, blood stains on the sheets, and black spots (on the sheets, mattress, wood of the bed frame, furniture, baseboards, behind frames, curtains, etc.). Would you be able to recognize these indications of a bed bug infestation if they were present in your home or that of a loved one?

How to find the bed bugs themselves?

Normally, bed bugs stay away from the light. The best time to find them is at night, around 2:00 a.m. Get up without turning on the light. Turn on only your flashlight and check under your sheets, your headboard, your nightstands, the bed structure, and under the mattress. Be careful, because bed bugs may run away quickly if they see the light.

How to find bed bug shells?

Bed bug shells can sometimes be found on the parts of the bed structure that support the mattress or simply on the ground. They are often incorrectly believed to be crumbs, but, by looking closer, the morphological characteristics of the bed bug can be recognized. The presence of shells is an important sign of a bed bug infestation.

How to find blood stains on the sheets?

The blood stains left by bed bugs on the sheets are the result of an overflow (droplet) at the time of the bite, light bleeding following the bite, or the accidental crushing of a bed bug engorged with blood during the person’s sleep. The presence of blood stains is an important indication of a bed bug infestation.

How to find the black spots left by bed bugs ?

The black spots (on the sheets, mattress, wood of the bed frame, furniture, baseboards, behind frames, curtains, etc.) are also important indications and signs of a bed bug infestation. These spots look similar to those left by flies in our homes in terms of colour and size.

What are the symptoms that bed bugs cause?

The most common symptoms caused by bed bugs are skin reactions following the bites and severe itching (intense tingling that makes you want to scratch yourself).

Skin reactions following bed bugs can take several forms, including redness, small papules (swelling), hives, and bullous reactions (blisters) filled with liquid and sometimes blood, among others. However, you should know that a portion of the population has no reaction following bed bug bites.

A few tips while waiting for the exterminator to intervene : 

• Don’t move your furniture or clothes; you’ll move the problem around without eliminating it.
• Avoid sleeping elsewhere in your apartment; otherwise, you might run into bed bugs in places other than your bedroom. (Some of the bed bugs might follow you.)
• Don’t throw anything away! Everything can be saved. Failing that, don’t forget to mention that your objects are infested. Otherwise, put them in the garbage can under plastic.
• Avoid improvising a treatment yourself. Using the wrong products or improper handling could spread the infestation instead of solving it.
• Prepare your home according to the instructions that will be given to you by the exterminator.
• Give the exterminator access to every room in your house.

1# Why do they invade our homes?

The abandonment of the widespread use of powerful pesticides (DDT, etc.) as well as the increase in international travel seems to have largely contributed to the reappearance of bed bugs in our homes and apartments. Bed bugs have also developed resistances to several insecticides that were once used to eradicate them. The appearance of automatic heating regulated by thermostats is not foreign to the rapid spread of bed bugs, since this offers them the stable temperature required for their rapid development.

2# Where do they hide most often?

Never very far from their victims! Start looking for indications of their presence near the mattress, in the cracks, in the bed bases, on/under/in the nightstands, under the carpets, behind the frames, in the curtains, etc.

3# How to know if your home is infested with bed bugs

• You or a member of your family is the victim of bites and itching. Most often localized on the arms, they are red and puffy and in groups of three or four.
• There are blood stains on your sheets or pillow.
• There are black spots on the seams of the mattress.

Only one of these signs should alert you. If in doubt, a thorough inspection of your residence is required, especially the bedrooms. Pay special attention to the seams of the mattress, the bed base, and the sheets.

If you find droppings, shells, eggs, or insects, contact an exterminator immediately.