What Does it Look Like When You Have Bed Bugs?
WouterOne of the most common signs of a bedbug infestation is bloodstains. They can appear on your bedding, clothes, and upholstered furniture. The blood stains come from the bites of bed bugs. Their saliva contains an anticoagulant to prevent the blood from clotting while feeding. In some cases, bloodstains can continue to occur for a short time after the bedbug has finished eating.
Bedbugs live off blood and are found in all kinds of homes, from the most pristine to the most soiled. They feed by biting people during the night. Their bites are approximately a quarter of an inch long and can be felt through the skin. Bedbugs will usually feed for three to 10 minutes before crawling away.
Bites can appear on any exposed body part, from the head and neck to the legs and arms. Some people don’t react to the bites at all, but others experience big itchy welts that take weeks to heal. Unlike mosquito bites, bedbug bites don’t appear in groups of three, but instead occur singly or in clusters. If you notice bites, it’s probably an infestation of bedbugs.
The first step in identifying a bed bug infestation is to identify the type. Bed bugs are small, oval-shaped creatures that look like tiny cockroaches. They are reddish brown, wingless, and flat. They tend to swell up and change colour when they feed. If they have fed, they will return to a reddish brown color a few days later.
