Bed Bugs On Bed

Bed bugs are smart enough to hide but too dumb to clean up the evidence of their bloodthirsty crimes. These careless clues are the best indicator your room is overrun with bed bugs since secondary signs of bed bug infestation are visible both night and day:

Cast/shed bed bug skins, exoskeletons or shells
Fecal stains on your mattress and bedding
Blood stains on your sheets and pajamas
A clear bed bug shell is actually the exoskeleton, which is shed as the bed bug grows larger.

Bed Bugs On Bed

Bed bug fecal stains differ from blood stains. As bedbugs.net points out:

"Because bed bugs generally feast on the blood of their hosts, creeping out of hiding places at night to latch on, some people think that fecal stains from the insects should at least be tinged with the color of blood. This is not, in fact, the case. Fecal spotting tends to resemble smears or stains, which are dark brown or even black. This is because the blood has been digested and excreted."

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF A BED BUG BITE

The most telltale sign of a bed bug problem isn't the bed bug's bite. As the United States Environmental Protection Agency points out:

"Bites on the skin are a poor indicator of a bed bug infestation. Bed bug bites can look like bites from other insects (such as mosquitoes or chiggers), rashes (such as eczema or fungal infections) or even hives. Some people do not react to bed bug bites at all."

The percentage of people who do not react to bed bug bites is commonly stated as 70%, but a lengthy discussion as to why this is wrong rages on. The new evidence implies that "repeated exposure" to bed bug bites is the key to whether or not you react to the anesthetic in the bed bug's saliva. In other words, if you have bed bug bites, treatment requires more than just stopping the itching. You have to get rid of the infestation as well.

LOOK FOR THESE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF A BED BUG BITE:

Raised, red welts
Burning and itching
Bed bug bite rash across localized area
Straight lines of multiple bites
Check out these pictures of bed bug bites from American Family Physician, showing the characteristic wheals (temporary raised, red, itchy welts) and clusters associated with the aftermath of a feeding.

SUSPICIOUS BUGS CREEPING AROUND

Despite the ongoing bed bug epidemic, many people still don't know what a bed bug even looks like. This University of Minnesota extension page does a good job explaining the complexities of finding live bed bugs considering their changing stages of life, saying:

"...eggs hatch in about six to 10 days and the newly emerged bed bug nymphs seek a blood meal. Immature nymphs molt five times (i.e., they shed their outer exoskeletons in order to grow) before reaching adulthood. They need to feed at least once before each molt, although they could feed as often as once a day. There may be three or more generations per year."

You can see pictures of bed bugs in their various stages over at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website, but keep in mind that bed bugs are nocturnal. Identifying bed bugs during the day requires a bit of good or bad luck (depending on your view) and some persistence.

Take the sheets off your bed and look at the edges, crevices and piping of your mattress. Bed bugs are flat, almond-shaped, reddish-brown and very tiny. Look in the box spring and check for various sizes and stages, from bed bug eggs to adults. Varying size also applies to secondary signs of infestation (i.e., cast/shed skins).

HOW TO TREAT BED BUG BITES

Now that you know the signs of a bed bug infestation, here's how to get rid of bed bug bites. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends you see a dermatologist if you have multiple bites, blisters, oozing, pus or any other signs of a severe allergic reaction or infection. Otherwise, their recommended bed bug bite treatment is:

"Wash the bites with soap and water. This will help prevent a skin infection and help reduce itchiness. If the bites itch, apply a corticosteroid cream to the bites. You can get a weak form of this medicine without a prescription at your local drugstore. Stronger corticosteroids require a prescription."

Unfortunately, learning how to get rid of bed bug bites involves much more than simply stopping the itch. Before your existing bites even begin to fade, new bites will appear as the infestation grows. To put an end to bed bug bites, treatment actually means eradicating the pests wherever they cower and hide. Terminix can help. Click here to schedule your bed bug inspection.