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- 1). Examine bites on exposed areas of skin. Bed bugs leave welts or raised bumps that resemble mosquito or flea bites. Bed bug bites tend to form a line or a cluster of three to four bites.
- 2). Disassemble your bed and examine the headboard, frame, mattress and box spring. These undisturbed areas provide an ideal location for bed bug nests. Look for brownish shells. Bed bugs molt as they grow and these outer shells are often found hidden in the cracks and crevices in and around your bed.
- 3). Examine the bed parts for eggs, which are about 1 millimeter long and white. They're laid in batches of up to 50 and stuck with a thin glue to the surface.
- 4). Search baseboards, cracks in flooring and under bedroom furniture for bugs, outer shell remains and eggs. Bed bugs move very fast and are only active at night so it's difficult to spot a live bug.
- 5). Examine mattresses and bedding for blood and fecal stains. These are typically found in the seams of the mattress and the fitted sheet of the bed. Red or blackish stains indicate squished bugs or fecal specks.
- 6). Inspect window and door frames, electrical boxes, furniture in other rooms, curtains, and other wall hangings for bed bugs, their outer shells and their eggs. Finding signs in these areas can indicate a large infestation.
- 7). Smell the air around your bed and other beds in your house. Often when infestations are large, a sickening sweet smell like rotting coconut is present. This smell has also been described as rotting raspberries, coriander, old shoes and mold. This is an indicator of a major infestation. Small or minor infestations may not result in an unusual odor.
- 8). Call a certified pest control professional if any of these signs are present. If you notice bites, shell remains, stains and an unusual odor, chances are you have a large infestation which will require chemical treatment and sanitation measures to eradicate.
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