How to Identify Bed Bugs

Where to look

• Mattress seams, piping and labels
• Bed slats, frame joints and screw holes
• Headboard and the wall directly behind it
• Bedside tables, skirting boards and floor joints
• Upholstered furniture close to the bed

What the traces look like

• Small dark spots like ink dots – dried faecal marks
• Translucent, empty shed skins in several sizes
• Live bugs, flat and reddish-brown, up to about 5 mm
• Small blood smears on bedding
• A sweetish, musty smell where the infestation is heavy

Bed bugs, fleas or something else?

Bed bug bites tend to appear in lines or small clusters on skin exposed during sleep, and the traces are in the bed. Flea bites are usually around the ankles and linked to pets. Skin reactions vary hugely between people, so bites alone are never a diagnosis.

What to avoid

• Do not throw out the mattress before an inspection
• Do not move to another room – that usually spreads the infestation
• Do not use foggers or over-the-counter sprays, which scatter the population