Signs of Bed Bugs on Your Mattress
Finding bed bugs in your home can be unsettling. And discovering them living and breeding inside your mattress can be downright disturbing. But knowing how to identify and confirm signs of bed bugs on your mattress is important for addressing an infestation.
Bed bugs often congregate on or near beds and mattresses since this is where they have easy access to feed on human blood at night. By learning what bed bug spots, stains and egg casing on your mattress look like, youll be better able to inspect for an infestation.
Bed Bug Fecal and Blood Spots
One of the most common signs of bed bugs on a mattress are small, dark blood or fecal stains. After feeding on blood, bed bugs will excrete a digested blood waste that leaves reddish or brownish spots on bedding.
These stains may be small individual dots or short smears where a bug was crushed. Spots are often concentrated along mattress seams or edges. They can be distinguished from other stains because they will contain insect body parts when examined closely.
Skin Castings and Eggs
As bed bugs grow, they shed their exoskeleton several times. These papery, flaky skin remnants are called cast skins. The skins look hollow and light brown and may be spotted on mattress tufts or cracks.
You may also find clusters of tiny white eggs in crevices or seams. Eggs are just over 1mm, rice shaped, and often deposited near food sources. Each female can lay 200-500 eggs in her lifetime.
Live Bed Bugs
Seeing live bed bugs on your mattress is a sure sign of infestation. Adult bed bugs are oval shaped, wingless, and rusty red to brown in color. They are small and flat when unfed, approximately the size of an apple seed.
When inspecting your mattress, pay attention to seams, tufts, edges, and crevices and look for evidence of live bugs. Shining a flashlight lets you look deeper into mattress layers.
Dark or Rust-Colored Stains
In addition to small spots, bed bugs can leave behind large, rusty stain patches on your mattress. This staining is from digested blood waste and crushed bug bodies.
Heavy infestations tend to create more noticeable staining. Look along mattress seams and edges for dark-colored stains spanning larger areas.
Where to Look for Bed Bugs on Your Mattress
When trying to determine if there are bed bugs on your mattress, be systematic in your inspection. Look over these key areas carefully:
- Along all seams, creases and sides
- Under mattress tags and labels
- On box spring fold lines and fabric edges
- Inside quilted mattress covers and liners
- Underneath mattress buttons and tufted areas
- Inside any rips, tears or holes in the mattress
- Around and under mattress handles/vents
Use a Flashlight
Using a bright flashlight can help you spot evidence in mattress layers and crevices. The flashlight illumination and magnification can reveal bugs, eggs, spots and skin castings.
Look in the Bed Frame Too
In addition to the mattress itself, inspect the entire bed frame, headboard and foot board for signs of infestation. Bed bugs can hide in cracks in wood frames and drill holes in fabric headboards.
How to Confirm It's Bed Bugs
Other insects like fleas, ticks, carpet beetles and spiders can leave dark spots resembling bed bug stains. How can you confirm bed bug presence?
- Inspect stains closely to see if you can identify bug body parts like legs and antennae.
- Look for cast skins which are unique to bed bugs.
- Catch a live bug and compare to bed bug identification charts online to confirm.
- Show spots/stains to an exterminator who can positively identify them.
Get Mattress Encasings
Special bed bug mattress encasements are a helpful tool. They seal off the mattress, trapping bugs inside and preventing expansion of an infestation. Encasings also make it easier to spot bed bugs over the smooth vinyl surface.
Dangers of Bed Bugs Living in Your Mattress
Having a bed bug infestation inside your mattress poses some health and safety risks:
- Bug bites - Bed bugs feed on human blood, leaving itchy welts.
- Skin infections - Scratching bites can lead to infection.
- Anemia - In severe cases, blood loss from feeding can cause anemia.
- Insomnia - Fear, paranoia and discomfort can cause insomnia.
- Spreading bugs - Bugs move from the mattress to furniture, vehicles, workplaces.
- Mental anguish - Infestations cause stress, anxiety and emotional trauma for some.
What to Do If You Find Bed Bugs in Your Mattress
Discovering bed bugs in your mattress requires immediate action to halt infestation. Here are the steps to take:
- Isolate the infested mattress by sealing it in a bed bug proof cover. This traps bugs inside and prevents spreading.
- Inspect the rest of the room and home for spread of bugs. Look for live bugs, spots and eggs.
- Contact an exterminator to treat the mattress and home with insecticides. Chemical and heat treatments will kill all life stages.
- Discard the infested mattress or have it professionally steamed and heated to kill bugs.
- Vacuum and sanitize your bedroom thoroughly focusing on cracks and crevices.
- Consider preventative mattress encasements going forward to limit future spread.
Preventing Bed Bug Infestations
To help prevent bed bugs from ever infiltrating your mattress, be vigilant about:
- Inspecting any used furniture for signs of bed bugs before bringing into your home.
- Sealing up clutter which provides bed bug hiding places.
- Travelling with care and inspecting closely after staying in hotels or other homes.
- Isolating luggage after trips and drying on high heat to kill stowaways.
- Monitoring for early signs of infestation like unexplained bites or spots on bedding.
Catching an infestation before bed bugs spread into your mattress greatly simplifies eradication. Be proactive and you can help keep these pests out of your bed.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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