Do you think you might have bed bugs? There are a few ways you can find out. Some can be found early. Some will be noticed after bed bugs have made themselves comfortable in your Dixon home for some time.  Here are six signs that you may have bed bugs in your home.

#1: Bed Bug Bites

This is the sign many homeowners see first, but it is not an early sign of an infestation. When a female bed bug first gets into your home, she isn’t going to do a lot of biting. She will get a blood meal and start laying eggs. The bites you get at first will be mostly bites of newly hatched bed bugs. This is true whether one bed bug finds a way into your home, or you bring an item into your home that is infested with bed bug eggs.

When bed bugs hatch from their eggs, the initial bites are likely to just be tiny red spots. These can go undetected because there are a lot of insects that can bite you. It is only after bed bugs start to mature, and bites turn into itchy red welts with a rash around them, that they start to be noticed. Watch for the pattern. Each individual bed bug feeds multiple times, often three times. These bites will be in a line or a slight zig-zag. When bitten by bed bugs, the bites will follow a path across the skin rather than looking like several random bites on the skin.

#2: Bed Bug Eggs

One of the first signs of an infestation is the presence of tiny white eggs. But this warning sign isn’t going to pop out at you. You have to go looking for it. Bed bugs tend to lay their eggs in dark locations and in tight spaces. Sometimes, the only way to find eggs is by dragging a credit card along a seam. Those bugs have a knack for getting into incredibly tight spaces. If you have bed bugs in a bed, you might find eggs (and other signs) compressed between the mattress and box spring. This is a good place to start looking for warning signs, like the presence of eggs.

#3: Stains On Linens And Upholstry

Bed bugs usually make stains. These stains may be black, red, brown, tan or a mix of these. These stains are created by feces and blood. If you find a fresh stain, it can have a red coloration. Most often the stains are old. You may not find them until you’re pulling laundry out of the dryer. Keep this in mind. Old bloodstains will appear tan or brown, depending on the concentration.

#4: Shed Skin

Bed bugs pass through five instars. As they develop, they shed their skins and develop new skins. These shed skins can be a warning sign. But, like the other signs of bed bugs, these skins are likely to be hidden in dark, tight spaces.

#5: Pheromones

Bed bugs communicate with each other by emitting smells. If you have several bed bugs infesting a bed or piece of furniture in a small room, you may smell something that is a little off. Some describe this smell as being similar to the scent of a damp locker room towel.

#6: Actually Seeing Bed Bugs

If you see bed bugs in your home, you will be left with little doubt that you have a bed bug infestation. But it can be difficult to properly identify bed bugs because they don’t always look the same.

• Bed bugs are insects with six legs and two antennae.
• Newly hatched bed bugs are not worm-like larvae, they are nymphs with six legs and two antennae.
• Newly hatched bed bugs are pale in color and transparent.
• If a nymph has had a blood meal, it will have a red abdomen.
• As nymphs grow, they become tan and eventually reddish brown.
• As nymphs grow, they become less transparent, but never fully opaque.
• At any stage, you’re likely to see black excrement inside the abdomen of bed bugs.
• Bed bugs have an apple seed shape—particularly if they are male.
• If a bed bug has had a blood meal, it will appear to be more of a pill shape rather than the shape of a seed.
• Adult bed bugs are about 4.5 mm in length and have horizontal creases on the abdomen.

If You Find Bed Bugs, Reach Out To the Professionals At Pest Control Consultants

Bed bugs can be a nightmare to eliminate. Contact Pest Control Consultants at the first sign of bed bugs in your Dixon home. We can help you get rid of them quickly, and ensure that all those bugs are gone. We use state-of-the-art treatments including the application of Temprid SC, steam treatments, and dust treatments. After our initial application, we return for a follow-up inspection. If we detect bed bugs, we will make recommendations accordingly to ensure that your home is free from bed bugs. Reach out to the experts at Pest Control Consultants to learn more about our bed bug control process.