Are the bed bugs feeding on you? Bed bugs are nasty insects that hide in crevices or even in your bed’s joints. The best way to know if there is a bed bug infestation in your home is to have a real sample of the bed bug. Do not assume that the bite-like mark on your skin implies the presence of bed bugs.
If you go to bed and up the following morning to experience bites, but you have not encountered any bed bugs, you should investigate the situations in which the bites or marks are happening. It is important to note that you may start to look for bed bugs and fail to find any, which does not imply that they are not there. These parasites are known to exhibit puzzling and secretive ways of life and will always go without being seen.
Steps to determine if you have bed bugs
Examine the bites
The bites are always the first sign to tell you that you could be breeding bed bugs in your home. Bed bug bites are normally itchy and red, and in most cases found on both the shoulders and arms. Whereas this is a general sign or characteristic of most insect bites, they have a unique pattern. The bites are in a straight line rather than random.
Visually inspect the bedding
When you see red stains or dark spots on your white sheets, this could be a sign that the parasites are present. The dark spots can be the bed bugs feces, dead bugs, dried blood and more. The red stain on your sheet is your blood. Inspect along the mattress edges and where the sheet is always fitted to see for any sign of them. Remove the mattress for a thorough examination.
Catch them during hunting time
When they come to feed on you in the night be ready to catch them. The most excellent time to catch bed bugs is approximately an hour before dawn. You can set the alarm before you go yo bed. Have a torch next to you. Switch on the lights and watch for their movement on your sheet. Do this without moving because you might alarm them to go in hiding. Catch one of them as a prove.
Stop them in their tracks
Waking up in the middle of the night can be difficult. Set a trap that can catch or detect the bed bugs for you. Place this gadget adjacent to or under the bed, sofa or any place you think they are hiding in. You can use the double-sided carpet trick under your bed or on the side of your mattress for a minimum of 2 to 4 weeks. Check it every week to see if there is an infestation.
Look around your bed
You will be surprised that bed bugs hide in very strange places. Look for bed bugs around the following points: inside drawers, crevices in your alarm clock, on or behind the picture frame, on your curtains, on the cracks in your wall among other places. Inspect your furniture as well.