What to Look For in Bedbugs
WouterIf you’re concerned about bedbugs in your home, you may be wondering what to look for. The first step is to check for specks of blood, which are usually present on upholstered furniture or near seams. These specks are excrement left by the insects. If you find them, throw them away. You may also find shell-like remains on your bedding.
While bedbugs are tiny, they can bulge out of their shells when they feed. Like mosquitoes, bed bugs need blood to survive and moult. These insects live in or near human blood, so they often congregate near people’s beds. When you look closely, you may be able to find adult bedbugs in the headboard, box spring, and mattress.
Bedbug bites look like a red or purple welt. They can take up to 14 days to develop on your skin, and they’re slightly larger than flea bites. Although most people don’t experience any symptoms after getting bitten, you should contact your local council or a pest control company if you’re worried about bedbugs in your home. It’s not always easy to get rid of them, and some can become resistant to certain types of insecticides.
Adult bedbugs are oval-shaped and wingless, and they have a dark red color and are about the size of an apple seed. You can also find their shells, which are translucent and light tan, and bedbug feces. These bugs are typically active during the night, between midnight and five a.m.
