Signs of Bed Bugs and Bed Bug Bites: How to Check Your Home

What bed bugs look like

• Adults: flat, oval, reddish-brown, about the size of an apple seed (around 1/4 inch). After feeding they swell and look darker and longer.
• Nymphs (young bed bugs): smaller, from pinhead to almost adult size, pale or almost see-through until they feed.
• Eggs: tiny, pearly white, about 1 mm, often stuck in clusters in seams and cracks.

Bed bugs do not fly or jump. They crawl, and they are fast.

The 7 signs of bed bugs

1. Small dark spots on sheets and mattresses

These are bed bug droppings: digested blood. They look like dots from a fine marker and bleed into fabric like ink. Check mattress seams, the box spring and the sheet corners.

2. Rust-colored or red stains

Small reddish smears on sheets or pillowcases can come from bed bugs crushed while you slept.

3. Shed skins

Bed bugs molt five times before adulthood. The empty, pale, see-through shells collect in seams, cracks and behind headboards.

4. Eggs and eggshells

Tiny white eggs in clusters, usually in tight cracks and seams near where people sleep.

5. Live bed bugs

Seeing even one live bed bug is enough to act. Look closely along mattress seams, piping and tags with a flashlight.

6. Bites

Itchy, red welts, often in a line or cluster, on skin that was exposed during sleep. More on bites below.

7. A musty, sweet smell

Heavy infestations can give off a musty odor. This is a late sign, not an early one.

Bed bug bites: what they look like

Bed bug bites often:

• Show up on the face, neck, arms, hands and shoulders, the skin exposed while sleeping
• Appear in a line or zigzag of three or more, sometimes called “breakfast, lunch and dinner”
• Look like small, raised, red bumps or welts, sometimes with a darker center
• Itch, sometimes a lot

But bites alone are not proof. Some people have no reaction at all, which means one person in a bed can be bitten and the other sees nothing. Reactions can also take days to show. Flea bites, mosquito bites, spider bites and skin conditions can look similar.

Bed bug bites vs flea bites: flea bites usually show up around the ankles and lower legs, often in homes with pets. Bed bug bites are more often on the upper body. See our flea control page if you have pets and bites on your legs.

Talk to a doctor if bites are severe, infected or you have a strong reaction. The real confirmation is finding the bugs or their signs, not the bites.

Where bed bugs hide

Bed bugs stay close to where people rest. Start with the bed and work outward.

Bed and bedroom:
– Mattress seams, piping, tags and corners
– Box spring, especially under the fabric on the bottom
– Bed frame joints, screw holes and slats
– Headboard, especially if it is mounted to the wall
– Nightstands, inside drawers and joints
– Baseboards, carpet edges and electrical outlets near the bed
– Picture frames, curtains and loose wallpaper

Other rooms:
– Couch and recliner seams and cushions, especially if someone naps there
– Upholstered chairs
– Luggage, backpacks and laundry baskets
– Clutter near sleeping areas

How to check for bed bugs, step by step

1. Get a flashlight and a card. A credit card or playing card helps scrape seams and push into cracks.
2. Strip the bed. Check sheets and pillowcases for spots and smears.
3. Inspect the mattress. Go slowly along every seam, tag and corner on both sides.
4. Check the box spring. Lift it and look at the bottom, the corners and the wood frame.
5. Check the bed frame and headboard. Look in joints, screw holes and cracks.
6. Move outward. Nightstands, baseboards and outlets within a few feet of the bed, then the couch.
7. Bag anything suspicious. Put a sample on clear tape or in a sealed bag for identification.

Mattress encasements and interceptor cups under the bed legs make future checks easier.

Bed bugs in Vallejo apartments and rentals

Bed bugs spread easily through apartment buildings, duplexes and shared walls. If you rent in Vallejo, it helps to know a few things:

• California has a bed bug law for rentals. California Civil Code sections 1954.600 to 1954.605 cover bed bugs in residential rentals, including written information landlords must give tenants and rules about renting units with known infestations.
• Tell your landlord or property manager in writing as soon as you find signs.
• Do not take furniture to the curb without wrapping and labeling it, or neighbors may bring the bugs home.
• Neighboring units often need checking too, because bed bugs move through walls, outlets and pipe openings.

If you manage rentals in Vallejo, early inspection of nearby units keeps a one-unit problem from becoming a building-wide one.

What not to do

• Do not sleep in another room or on the couch. Bed bugs follow you and the infestation spreads.
• Do not use bug bombs or foggers. They do not reach bed bugs in cracks and can push them into walls and other rooms.
• Do not throw out your mattress right away. In many cases it can be treated and encased.
• Do not move items to another room or home until they have been treated or heat-dried.

What you can do right now

• Wash and dry bedding, clothes and soft items on the hottest dryer setting for at least 30 minutes.
• Vacuum the mattress, bed frame and carpet edges, then seal and throw out the vacuum bag or empty the canister into a sealed bag outside.
• Reduce clutter around the bed.
• Pull the bed a few inches away from the wall and keep bedding off the floor.
• Call (707) 000-0000 to book a bed bug inspection.

When to call a pro

Bed bugs are one of the hardest pests to get rid of on your own. They hide in tiny cracks, survive months without feeding and resist many store-bought sprays. If you have found any of the signs above, call us at (707) 000-0000.

We inspect every room bed bugs could have reached, then treat with heat treatment, targeted products or both, and come back to check. Read more on our bed bug exterminator in Vallejo page. For what goes into the price, see the bed bug treatment cost guide, and use our before and after pest control guide to prepare.