Bedbugs. Yuck. The thought of these nasty little pests crawling over you and feeding on you while you sleep is enough to turn your stomach. Bedbugs have seen a dramatic increase in population over the past decade after being nearly wiped out by DDT based pesticides in the 1950's. If you suspect you may have these unwanted guests sharing your bed with you then you will want to read the following tips on identifying an infestation. After you have read the article you will better understand the signs of an invasion and some things you can do to get confirmation of their presence.
Initial Evidence of Infestation
These insects are crafty little nocturnal creatures, they lie dormant during the day and even most of the night. Generally they will come out to feed for a short period of time just a few hours before dawn - this is when the majority of their human hosts will be sound asleep and most vulnerable to attack. Therefore, it is pretty hard to catch one in the act unless you happen to wake up at the right time and manage to catch one on your skin as it feeds. Instead you'll have to use some initial evidence as clues and then use a trap to get positive confirmation.
The first evidence of bedbug intrusion will be itchy bite marks on your skin. Generally they like to feed from the forearms - you may notice multiple bites on your arms that resemble a rash in high volume. Bed bugs generally will feed from 3 spots in a row, leaving a tell tale trail of bite marks in a straight line. If you have these symptoms it may be a good indication that your bedding is infested.
However, you cannot be sure these are bedbug bites without actual proof. Similar itchy welts can be caused by other insects or even allergies. Consider if you have maybe switched detergents in your laundry or come in contact with any other potential allergens before you commit to spending the large amount of money required to treat for these pests. (Exterminators may charge more than 0 to eliminate the problem and even DIY options will be several hundred.)
Visual Inspection
A visual inspection of your bedding and mattress area may provide more indication of a problem. Bed bugs will leave small black stains around the corners and crevices of a mattress and box spring, as a result of their elimination process. With a big infestation you should see lots and lots of tiny black dots around the corners of mattress, a favorite place for the colony to hide out. If the evidence adds up, it will be time for a more formal inspection or perhaps some inexpensive traps so you can find out if you indeed have bed bugs and take steps toward eliminating them.
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