You've heard the warning your whole life: "Sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite!" But what are bedbugs exactly? Are they just the boogeyman of the insect world? Bedbugs do indeed exist, and they can look for homes in your sheets, couches, and any other cozy textiles. These tiny unwelcome guests can easily slip into your home and multiply at an alarming rate. The best way to be rid of them is to call a pest control service to completely eradicate them. Here are three signs that you have a bedbug infestation.
Bedbugs leave a linear path of bites on your ankles or wrists.
Bedbugs, like fleas, subsist on a diet of human or animal blood. Unlike fleas, bedbugs do not typically just nip at your ankles. Bedbugs leave a literal telltale trail showing that they are sharing your sheets with you. Bedbugs tend to bite in a straight line an any skin left exposed when you are sleeping. They could feed at your ankles, wrists, neckline, and even around your scalp. Bedbug bites may not itch at first and could be confused with flea or mosquito bites, so it is important to keep an eye out for bite patterns.
A strong, musty odor in your bedroom is a sign of infestation.
These little terrors are not just biters; they can also leave a musty scent as their calling card. Bedbugs have scent glands that excrete a strong odor due to their diet of your blood. The bigger the bedbug infestation, the stronger the smell throughout your home. The offensive odor that bedbugs give off has been likened to the smell of old, moldy clothes. Bedbugs are as likely to inhabit a dirty environment as they are to sneak into an immaculately clean one; therefore, if you still notice the smell of moldy laundry after you have cleaned house, you should keep your eyes out for these little bloodsuckers.
Bedbugs leave their small, dark waste in your sheets.
You may not be able to catch bedbugs in the act of sucking your blood while you sleep, but they will certainly leave signs of their presence behind. Bedbugs leave discarded shells about the size of apple seeds when they shed. You may also find small, dark spots of excrement. They can also leave bloodstains in your sheets. Depending on how old the blood is, the stain may be dark brown or red.
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