It is important to check for bed bugs whenever you travel, especially when spending a night at a hotel. A basic check only takes about 10 minutes and it is time well spent because if you should take even one bed bug back home with you, you could end up spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars trying to get rid of them.
Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs can be seen easily with the naked eye. Full grown adults are about the size of an apple seed. After feeding they turn a reddish brown color because their tummies are full of your blood which you can clearly see through their exoskeleton.
How Do You Know If You Have Bed Bugs?
If you suspect you have bed bugs in your own home, you can use this same checklist. Grab a flashlight perform these simple checks:
- Have a good look under the bottom fitted sheet and particularly along the seams of the mattress. Look for traces of blood, bed bugs or feces.
- If the mattress has a cover remove it and look directly on the seams and folds of the mattress. Also check in and around the buttons if there are any as this is a favorite hiding place.
- Slide the mattress to one side and have a look directly at the top of the box-spring. Look for the same traces.
- Check along the folds and seams of the box-spring skirt.
- Check screw holes and any dark spaces that are formed when 2 pieces of the frame are joined.
- Check around the headboard.
- Check around any hanging pictures around the bed.
- Check in and around the nightstand.
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