Below is an image we captured of a mattress that has a bed bug infestation.  Several blue arrows point out bed bugs while one points out a bed bug exoskeleton.  Also, bed bug fecal matter is visible on the mattress.

Image One. Mattress with Bed Bugs

In the next image two below, we have enlarged one of the bed bugs that are pointed out by the blue arrows.  This bug was discovered out in the open and was scrambling to get under cover.  As we have said, they are nocturnal and can not stand the light of day.  The enlargement is of the area just above the time text in image one above.

Image Two. Enlarged image of Bed Bug.

Next, image three, is another enlargement of an area on  image one above.  The enlargement is the of the area containing the upper most arrow in image one above.  Hopefully, you can make out a Bed Bug exoskeleton that is pointed to by the blue arrow.  Along with the exoskeleton, you can see Bed Bug fecal mater as well as many smaller bugs hiding in the mattress seam.

Image Three. Enlarged image of mattress with Bed Bug Casing

Image four seen below, is the final two arrows show in image one above.  Two bed bugs are pointed to by the blue arrows hiding in the mattress seam.  Additionally, hopefully you can make out many other smaller bugs as well as fecal matter.

Image Four. Enlarged image of two bed bugs hiding in the mattress.

Hopefully what these images will help to empower you to recognize bed bugs when you see them.  Remember that most of the bed bugs found in the home can be found in the bedding and this is the first area that should be inspected.  Also, remember that covering your bedding with encasements, will kill all these bed bugs when the encasements are left on for a year or more!

What are Bed Bugs?

As already mentioned, bed bugs are blood-sucking insects which feed on humans.  There are two kinds of these bugs:  the common bed bugs which can be found almost all over the world and the tropical bed bugs which are mainly found in tropical countries.

You are not likely to see bed bugs roaming around the house because aside, from being tiny little monsters, they are nocturnal and only come out to feed at night when you are already having that much-needed rest.  At day time, bed bugs hide in different cracks and crevices of your home—beds, skirting boards, loose wall paper, and everywhere else possible.

How do Bed Bugs get into your home?

Bed Bugs get into your home by hitchhiking on clothing , luggage as well as used furniture and bedding.

Visiting someone that has bed bugs can bring them home with you.  They  have been found in theaters, Dr’s offices, trains, and buses.  Service workers going from home to home, such as cleaning, health care and delivery, can bring beg bugs into your home.

As you can see the problem with bed bugs is spreading rapidly.

Dust mites, like bed bugs, are nasty little monsters found in millions and millions of home all over the world.  In fact, believe it or not, your pillow may be infested by some ten million of these creatures and about half a billion of their droppings.  Even just a single gram of dust in your house can hold over one thousand mites so imagine how much you have around.

What are they?

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, mites or dust mites are tiny bugs which feed on dead skin cells of both humans and animals.  As they feed on dead skin cells, they don’t really bother you with any blood-sucking tendency and won’t cause you rashes.  The problem with these creatures is they cause allergies in some individuals like asthma, hay fever, and certain types of eczema.  A huge percentage of asthmatic people are allergic to mites.

What do they look like?

This is where it gets interesting.  You see, an adult female mite is only 0.3 millimeter long while the male is a bit thinner and smaller.  They are oval and semi-transparent. Their color may vary depending on what they have been eating.  Having said that, you now know that they can’t be seen by the naked eye—with or without some color.

Mites don’t have any hard covering but they have slightly permeable skin.  This makes them prone to water loss.  They are consists of as much as 80% water.  Without enough of it, they will die.

How did they get to your home?

Since mites are too tiny, no one can really tell how they exactly end up in anyone’s home.  However, since they are clingy creatures, they can easily stick to fur, feathers, cloth, or any other materials which will serve as conducive hiding places while traveling to their new “home.”

Your socks, stuffed toys, and pajamas can easily transfer mites to your bed.  Aside from the bed, dust mites can also be found in sofas, cushions, carpets, upholstery, and even top covers which are not often moved.  These furniture and articles can accumulate dead skin cells which the mites love for dinner.

How can you protect your home from them?

You can protect your home from harboring too many mites by keeping the surrounding clean always.  Since they thrive in humid and dusty place, keep your home well-ventilated and dust-free at all times.

How can you get rid of them?

Sadly, you can’t totally get rid of mites, but there are some practical steps you can do to significantly reduce their number and not let them thrive further.  For one, you can get rid of old pillows.  Buy new ones if yours are too old and too dirty.  You can also strip all your beds and wash their bedding in hot water.  If the sun is up, it is a great idea to dry them outside.  While your bedding is in the washing machine, you can vacuum your bed thoroughly.  This will eliminate all the mites on the surface.

You may also want to try using dust mite covers for your pillows and mattresses.  Some doctors recommend these products as they are said to be effective in reducing the allergy attacks of some people.  These covers are made from breathable materials so you won’t have to worry about them being hot or uncomfortable.

If there are family members who are highly sensitive to dust mites, you may want to consider totally getting rid of your carpets and other upholstered furniture which serve as these creatures haven.  Go for hard-type flooring.  If you can’t get rid of your carpets, the next best thing to do is to have them steam-cleaned professionally.  You should also invest in a vacuum cleaner which is specifically designed to remove allergens.  As for your upholstered furniture, you may want to replace them with leather ones.  Leather does not trap mites and their droppings.

It is also important that to regularly change your curtains and drapery.  If you don’t have the time to wash them yourself, bring them to the cleaner’s.  Before putting on a new set, vacuum the window areas first.

If you want to eliminate the drapery altogether, you can install shutters and blinds instead.  They can dramatically decrease the mites thriving in your window area.

When cleaning up the furniture and other surface, you may use a kind of polish which has anti-allergen formulation.

Finally, if you have money to spend, run an air purifier that will get rid of allergens in the air.

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Signs You Have Bed Bugs

Here are some things to look at to consider if you do in fact have bed bugs in your home.

• Obviously, if you see a bed bug then you would likely know that more than one is there.

• You may see blood stains on your bedding which is usually caused by the bed bug being crushed while it is on the host.  For example, you may role over onto the bed bug while it is feeding.

• Brown or reddish brown spots on the bedding or clothing can be signs as well.  These are the fecal matter of the bed bug.  Excrement can be found on the sheets, mattress, on the walls, or on other areas that they travel.

• If you find things such as eggshells or shredded skin on your flooring, bedding or on your mattress, this can be a sign of bed bugs.  They are generally found on locations that are close to their hiding places.

• If you have a very large infestation in your home, you may also have an unexplained odor in the home.  This have a sweet yet musty smell to it.  Usually, it is offensive and noticeable when you come into your home.

• It is normal to just have one bite mark on the body, but a tell tale sign that you have bed bugs is the look of three bite marks in a row.  In fact, these are often caused by the movement of the bug in a line as it looks for the same blood vessel it had before it was disturbed.

• A great way to notice them is to use a method that will allow you to detect their presence.  To do this, simply plan to turn on a light without moving much from your bed just a few hours or so before dawn.  At this time of the day, the bed bugs are most actively seeking their host.  Use a flashlight to catch them in the act or on the bedding.

Set A Trap!

If you really want to see for yourself that there are bed bugs in your home or in your bed, you can set a trap to do so.  Here are some things that you can do to see their presence in your home.

• Place sticky tape, sticky side up on the area around your bed.  As the creature crawls over it, they will stick to it.

• Place heating pads in an area that is dark.  This is especially effective when you have used the heating pad in the past.  Use tape to catch them or you can just watch for their presence.

• You can use either of these methods and combine them by placing a balloon that has been filled by mouth in the area. Bed bugs are attracted to the carbon monoxide that people exhale.  This will help to lure them in.

A trap like these can help you to lure in bed bugs so you can actually see if you have an infestation.  Of course, there is no guarantee that bed bugs will in fact respond to these types of traps.
Store Bought Products

There are also products on the market that you can purchase that can help you.  These are generally marketed as products to help you to get rid of bed bugs.  Whether they work for that reason is another story.  But, they can definitely help you know if you have bed bugs in your home.

These products are quite like that of flea traps where they will lure the pests into the trap and are supposed to keep them there.  Unfortunately, most of these traps are really only good for determining if you have bed bugs in your home.  Most are not effective when it comes to ridding the home of the pests.

Other Signs

All of the things that we have talked about thus far are good signs that you have bed bugs.  If you notice them or think you notice marks on your skin or on your children’s skin, then you may have an infestation of bed bugs in your home.

Those that travel or have visited homes in which there are an infestation should take care as to determine if they too have brought the bed bugs into the home.

Beyond a doubt, the best way to know if there are bed bugs in your home is to use a professional service.  They will come out and look for the tell tale signs and, being experts, will be able to tell you for sure what they have found.

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Now that you know a bit more about bed bugs, it is time to learn more about what they look like.

There are several pictures located here as an aid in identification.  It is important to read the necessary information about them as well.  Bed bugs are commonly mistaken for other pests in the home.  As such, you may think you have bed bugs when in actuality you have some other pest lurking there.

If you plan to treat bed bugs, you need to have proper identification of these insects.  Here are some key points to help you to identify them.

• In their adult stage, they are brown to a reddish tint of brown.

• They are an oval shape but also flattened out.

• In size, the adult bed bug is about 3/16 to 1/5 of an inch long.

• When they have had a meal, the bed bug is swollen looking.  They will be longer now and have a dark red color to them.

• On the front of their heads, they have what looks like a beak that allows them to pierce and suck from their mouths.

• Adult bed bugs have wings.  However, they can not fly.  They are small in size and are very short looking.

• The eggs of bed bugs are white or colorless.  They will darken in their color as they mature.  Eventually they will have a brownish tint to them when they mature.

• The nymphs look a lot like that of the adult bed bugs in their appearance, just smaller in size.

Pictures

Here are some pictures of bed bugs that can often be used as an aid in distinguishing them:

Here is a picture of a one.  In this picture, the bed bug has not eaten and therefore has it’s tell tale flattened look about it.

In this picture, you can see the size difference between a bed bug that has eaten and one that has not.  As they eat, they become elongated and swollen.

In the following picture, take the time to notice what the bed bug looks like in various stages of its life.  The bed bug is commonly found in the same area at all these stages.  If you have adult bed bugs, you will also have eggs.  This is what makes it hard to treat them because, you may kill off the adults but, the eggs may still be present.

The Life Cycle Of The Bed Bug

In this final picture, you can see just how small a bed bug really is.  This shows just how hard it can be for you to notice that they are there.

Remember that it is quite hard to really tell if a pest that you find in your home is actually a bed bug.  For example, if you live in an area that may have several closely related species; you may find out you do not have bed bugs after all.  If you live in the midwest of the United States, you may think that you have found bed bugs in your home.  But, it is much more likely that you have found a bat bug instead.  If you suspect that you may have them, contact a local inspector to help you to identify them.

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What Are They?

The bed bug is a creature that feeds on human beings and other warm blooded animals.  Humans are its food of choice.  If they can not find a person, they will select other warm blooded animals to use as a host for feeding.   This can include your pets such as cats, dogs, and others.  It can also includes birds, rodents and bats.  Their food is that of the host’s blood.  With that being true, you usually find these creatures in a locations were their food is.  They can be found in homes and other locations where their hosts live.  This can include places like hotels, motels, shelters, apartment buildings, dorm rooms at colleges, and even prisons.   Anyplace where there is a source of hosts is a good place to find bed bugs.

How Do They Get There?

If you have a home, you may be wondering how these bugs have gotten in.  One of the major ways in which bed bugs do infest is through the means of transportation we all use.  Often, they can infest busing lines, trains,  passenger and commercial ships, and even in airlines.

Bed bugs can be transported from transportation into your home in numerous ways.

• They can be transported using your clothing.

• They can be transported on or in your luggage when your come home from an infested location.

• They can come through furniture that is brought into your home.

• They can come in from bedding as well.

There are plenty of ways in which bed bugs can make the journey from one place to the next.  They can leave you wondering just where they came from in the first place when you find them in your home.

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