Not sure if bed bugs have taken up residence in your home? Here is some basic information about bed bugs you can use to help determine if you have a bed bug infestation.

Bed Bug Bite Symptoms

Bed bugs are blood-sucking pests. While they prefer to feed on human blood, they will also infest birds and mammals. They are nocturnal pests, so they typically bite at night while people are sleeping and hide during the day.

If you repeatedly wake up each morning with small, red insect bites, there’s a very good chance you have bed bugs. Bed bug bites look similar to mosquito bites and are often arranged in a line, revealing the insect’s path.

Bed bug bites don’t pose any health risks and generally clear up in about a week, but if you experience an allergic reaction after being bitten by a bed bug, you may suffer painful swelling and itching.

Don’t automatically assume any bite-like mark is a bed bug bite. The only way to know for sure if you have bed bugs is to identify actual bed bugs itself.

Bed Bug Symptoms: Physically Evidence

Occasionally you may see evidence of a bed bug infestation without actually seeing any bed bugs. Bed bugs leave fecal stains in the areas they inhabit. These stains are actually partially digested blood but it will not be red unless you crush a bed bug that has just recently fed. As the blood is digested it turns black and therefore the bed bug droppings usually consist of several black spots in one area. The fecal spots will not flake off if rubbed and will smear if wiped with a wet rag.

Carefully inspect your home, paying close attention to walls, nightstands, couches, and mattresses. Look for these indicators:

• Dark, rust-colored spots of bed bug excrement
• Blood stains on your sheets and mattress
• A collection of bed bug shells

Another sign of bed bugs is if you smell an offensive odor in your home. Bed bugs produce an unpleasant odor through their sweat glands. And of course, seeing bed bugs themselves is a clear indication you have a bed bug infestation.

Treating Bed Bugs

Treating bed bug infestations is often very difficult. Bed bugs can survive pesticides and extreme temperatures. So if you have an infestation, you’re going to need to contact a professional to have them properly eliminated. At Interstate Pest Management, we have a 7-step bed bug treatment system that effectively kills bed bugs and their eggs, by using steam machines and commercial insecticides.