Written by Nectarsleep editorial team
Last Updated on Jun 14, 2022
Bed bugs are parasitic insects that bite both humans and animals to draw blood for their food, which can lead to rashes since bed bug bites tend to be itchy. Their preferred hiding places are usually warm spaces such as in furniture, bedding, a bed frame, and even the cracks and crevices of your mattress too. Before you start treating your home or apartment for pests, you might be wondering, ‘What do bed bugs look like’, since bed bug bites are sometimes mistaken for something else.
Although a bedbug is a tiny insect, it is still visible to the human eye. However, it is sometimes difficult to discern whether what you’re seeing is a bed bug, tick, or another type of insect. Fortunately, there are several ways in which you can determine if you are sharing your bed with bed bugs.
The common misconception is that you can tell whether a bedbug has bitten you, or not, based on the bite. However, this is not true as their bite may be similar to that of fleas and chiggers. That said, what do bed bugs bites look like?
Seeing red welts on your skin when you wake up is not a sufficient clue that a bed bugs infestation is present. You will need to look for telltale signs of bed bugs in your home. Here are a few signs to watch out for:
Bed bugs are pests that can live in any part of your home. Due to their minute size, they are able to slip through tiny cracks and crevices in your furniture regardless of the textile or upholstery. A bed bug infestation typically appears in beds, particularly in the bed frame, mattress, and even box springs for that matter. If you want to determine whether you have a bed bug problem, you will need to watch out for the signs mentioned above in these places.
Other possible places where bed bugs can thrive are in the curtains, electrical outlets, cracks in your wallpaper, joists, and even inside your wicker furniture for that matter. Your bedding and clothing will not be spared, which can be troublesome, to say the least. Even your luggage may be a hiding place for this type of pest.
When trying to get rid of bed bugs on your own, it is essential to note that while diatomaceous earth may be touted as a natural solution for bed bugs to help you eliminate the infestation in your home, it can damage your lungs when you breathe it. According to the EPA, make sure that you do not use pool or food-grade diatomaceous earth. Look for the pesticide version, which uses a different size of diatoms; thus reducing the hazard.