Does Your House Have a Bedbug Infestation?

Bedbug infestations are pretty common, and the insects can make themselves at home in your house, no matter how clean or spotless your house is. The pests are also impressively resilient and survive for months without feeding, making them challenging to eliminate. Read on to discover the signs of a bedbug infestation.

1. Itchy Red Spots

If you wake up with itchy marks on your body or a family member complains of the same, you may have a bedbug problem. The marks often appear on the head and neck because they are uncovered by your bedding, but these marks can occur anywhere on the body. 

However, some people don't react to bedbug bites, while others only show swelling without pain. Since bedbugs don't bite daily, you may dismiss itchy welts as an allergic reaction until the infestation has become quite large.

You may also find it challenging to differentiate bedbug bites from those of mosquitoes, fleas, and other insects. Bedbug bites appear in a pattern, either in a straight line or zigzag. You may exhibit clusters of itchy marks, unlike bites from other insects that lack a distinct pattern. 

2. Stains on Beddings

When bedbugs get a chance to feed, they gorge themselves full on your blood. As you turn and toss in your bed, you unconsciously crush these tiny insects, which burst in a splash of blood.

Red streaks on sheets, mattresses, comforters, and pajamas are telltale signs that bedbugs feed on you when you sleep. The marks may also appear on upholstered furniture like the couch as these insects congregate anywhere there are people. 

Bedbugs also leave fecal stains on beds and furniture since they relieve themselves when feeding. The rust-colored fecal matter can stain your wall paint or appear underneath the wallpaper. These stains smear when wiped with a wet rag, and you should check the mattress seams as bugs tend to congregate here in large numbers.

3. Musty Odor

A strong, musty odor when you enter your house may indicate the presence of bedbugs. Like many other bugs, these insects release pheromones when their habitat is disturbed, such as when you plop yourself on the bed. In low concentrations, the smell of pheromones isn't too disorienting. You will likely go about your business without noticing anything amiss in the house.

However, the smell can mimic rotting wood or mildew in large amounts. Bedbugs use pheromones to communicate, and the scent is alarming if too many of them are in your house. The insects' fecal matter further worsens the musty odor, and you need a pest control service to remove the bugs.

4. White Specks on Furniture

Young bedbugs go through five molts before attaining maturity, and each transition starts with feeding on human blood and ends with shedding their exoskeleton. Females can lay as many as 250 eggs in their lifetime, so many skeletons will float around your home during a serious infestation.

The skeletons appear as white or yellow specks along mattress edges, between sofa cushions, and under furniture. A closer inspection of the cracks and crevices in your house can also reveal white bedbug eggs that indicate a severe infestation.

5. Irritated Pets

Bedbugs mainly feed on people but may feed on your cats and dogs if they can't get a blood meal from a person. Check your pet's body for welts if you suspect a bedbug infestation. The pet may also appear irritated, scratchy, or restless due to the itchy bite marks. 

A bedbug infestation can quickly get out of hand, so you should recognize the early signs before the insects take over your home. Contact us at Best Pest Control Services today for a permanent solution against bedbugs.