Are These Bed Bugs In My Hartford Home?

Oh no! You’ve spotted a tiny, brownish-black insect crawling across your Hartford home – is it a bed bug? A tick? A carpet beetle? Unfortunately, bed bugs are one of the hardest insects for homeowners to identify, and it’s not unusual for people to mistake them for carpet beetles, ticks, or even adolescent cockroaches.

However, bed bug infestations can be dangerous, and it’s important to know when you’re dealing with bed bugs or something more harmless. Here’s what Hartford homeowners should know about identifying bed bugs by appearance, other signs of a bed bug infestation, and what to do if you’re spotting these signs of bed bugs around your home.

What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?

Bed bugs can look different, depending on the stage of life they’re in:

Adult bed bugs: When they’re full-grown, adult bed bugs will only be the size of an apple seed with flat, oval-shaped bodies. Most bed bugs have dark brown coloring, although they may look more reddish-brown if you spot them after feeding. Adults also have wing pads on their back, but they never develop into functional wings, so these pests can’t fly.

Nymphs: Adolescent bed bugs, also called nymphs, are a little bit smaller and more difficult to spot, but you can still see them with the naked eye. Newly-hatched nymphs aren’t bigger than the head of a pin, and they’re white and tan until they start feeding.

Bed bug eggs: While you may have trouble spotting them in the dark, bed bug eggs also have white coloring and may look similar to white poppy seeds. You may also see empty eggshells that get left behind after a nymph hatches.

Given their small size and secretive nature, sometimes spotting bed bugs themselves is not the clearest sign of a bed bug problem.

Signs Of A Bed Bug Infestation

Since bed bugs are easy to misidentify, it’s essential to recognize other signs of a bed bug infestation. In many cases, these pests could live in your home for months before you see actual bed bugs, but these pests leave other traces of their presence.

It’s also important to note that bed bugs don’t just live in your mattress. While they may prefer sleeping areas because they know they’ll get a meal every night, bed bugs can be found in any room where there’s regular human activity.

Bed Bug Shells And Molted Skin

You may not always see live bugs, but there’s a good chance you’ll notice the discarded exoskeletons and molted skins that these pests leave behind. As they progress through maturity, bed bugs molt five different times, and the discarded exoskeleton looks a lot like an actual bed bug – but more translucent. You can find these shells anywhere around your home, but they may pile up in places where bed bug activity is high.

Fecal Spots

Looking a lot like smears or stains, you may find fecal spots in places where bed bugs are active – like the corner of your room, baseboards, or the seam of your mattress. Fecal spots are small, brownish-black smears.

Staining

While fecal spots can leave stains, that’s not the only staining you’ll get with bed bugs. When they’re feeding at night, it’s natural for a sleeping human to roll over and accidentally crush a few bed bugs as they do so. As a result, you may find tiny bloodstains on your sheets or pillowcases after you’ve slept through the night.

Itchy, Swollen Bites

One of the most noticeable signs that you’ve got bed bugs are the itchy, swollen bites that they leave on you. If you’re waking up with itchy, raised welts on exposed skin, bed bugs could be the culprit. Not everyone may have a reaction to bed bug bites, but many people do.

How To Handle A Bed Bug Problem In Hartford, CT

Maybe you’re noticing signs of a bed bug infestation or you’re trying to identify a live bed bug that you’ve found in your home. Either way, dealing with a bed bug infestation is something to leave up to the professionals. At American Pest Solutions, we’ve been eliminating bed bug infestations in Hartford for years, and we can do the same for your home.

If you think you’ve got a bed bug problem on your hands, there’s no need to let it get any worse. Contact us at American Pest Solutions today for more information about our bed bug control services.