Author: Michelle Kulas

Does Raid kill bed bugs? After all, it makes quick work of ants, cockroaches, and other household pests. It’s a common question and one that has a multifaceted response. Here are some considerations to keep in mind:

• Raid will, indeed, kill bed bugs on contact.
• Raid will not, in most cases, be enough to control a true infestation of bed bugs.
• The way you apply Raid can make a difference in how many bed bugs you’re able to kill.
• Unfortunately, there are some limitations when it comes to whether Raid will kill the specific bed bugs that are bothering you.
• There are effective alternatives to Raid that can get your infestation under wraps.

Keep reading to learn more about the question of whether Raid is a good match against bed bugs.

Bugging Out: Demystifying the World of Bed Bug Infestations

Often, people might not understand why they have bed bugs in the first place. After all, if you keep your home clean, you should feel secure that you’re not likely to attract any six-legged critters… right?

That’s not the case, particularly when it comes to bed bugs. These creepy crawlies don’t discriminate, and they will happily infest dirty homes and pristine luxury hotels with equal joy. They want to eat, and what they eat is human (and occasionally other mammalian) blood. If there are humans in your home, you’re prone to a bed bug infestation.

Bed bugs come into your home by hitching a ride on something or someone. Usually, that something is a used mattress, a secondhand couch, or the luggage you set on the floor of a hotel. Sometimes, they’ll cling to your clothes or the clothes of a visitor to your home and establish themselves that way.

Once they move in, though, they’ll start procreatin. They’ll find small crevices to hide in, and that’s where they’ll make their home.

Raid Unleashed: A Bed Bug Warrior Enters the Fray

If you see one bed bug, it’s natural to reach for a can of Raid, spray it, smash it with your shoe, and call it a done deal. Since bed bugs generally live in a large group, though, this isn’t likely to have much of an effect.

Raid will, in fact, kill bed bugs on contact. This includes the regular Raid spray and foaming bed bug spray.

But can it manage an infestation? It probably won’t cure the problem, but using the Raid correctly can boost the chances that it will kill more bugs and eggs.

Precision Matters: Where to Apply the Raid

There are several types of Raid bed bug spray, and there’s also regular Raid that you’d use for any other kind of insect. To control a bed bug infestation, you need to not only kill the live bugs (which are all very good at hide and seek) but also the eggs. Otherwise, those eggs will hatch into new bed bugs, starting the problem over again.

To kill eggs, you need to spray where the eggs are. Raid products can help minimize infestations for a number of weeks, but not if you don’t spray correctly.

Some places where live bugs and eggs might hide include:

• The creases of mattresses and box springs
• Inside of mattresses and box springs
• In crevices of the bed frame, such as where the mattress sits or where it screws into the headboard
• The seams of your bedding (pillowcases, sheets, and comforters)
• Luggage, suitcases, and purses
• Clothing left in the bedroom (either in drawers or tossed over a chair or even on the floor)
• The edges of the carpeting where it meets the baseboards
• Behind or in wall art and picture frames

As you can see, it would be difficult to spray in all of these areas, along with other tiny areas that you might have in your home.

Safety First: Navigating Bed Bug Treatment With Raid

Raid is an insecticide, and it’s not healthy for humans to be exposed to wet spray. Make sure you’re using it in a ventilated area; turn on fans and have the windows open, if at all possible. Also, keep children and pets out of the room until the spray dries.

While applying, you should also wear gloves and a mask to reduce your own exposure. Wash your hands well after use, and if you’ve gotten any on your clothes, change into something clean.

While the Raid Bed Bug Foaming Spray says it can be used on mattresses, the website also warns users to remove and wash contaminated clothing before reuse, so this seems that it might apply to mattresses as well.

Beyond Raid: Exploring Effective Alternatives

There are lots of alternatives that might be more effective than using Raid to kill bed bugs.

First, there are plenty of DIY methods that don’t really work and probably shouldn’t be tried. These include Lysol, vinegar, bleach, and baking soda.

There are some cleaning strategies you can use to help reduce the number of bed bugs, but these won’t be enough to stop an infestation. They include vacuuming well, dusting, washing your bedding in hot water, and putting them through the dryer on a high heat cycle.

Once you wash your bedding and vacuum your mattress and box spring well, you might want to encase your bed with bug-proof encasements. This will at least keep them from burrowing into the mattress. Also, any that were left in the mattress will be unable to get out of the cases to bite you.

Decluttering is also a good idea since bugs can hide in all types of clutter on bedside tables, in seating areas, and in clutter piled on the floor.

Professional exterminators can use methods like insecticides and heat treatments to eliminate both bugs and eggs. They have products that are safe for use in your bedroom.

Does Raid Kill Bed Bugs? Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a solution to your bed bug situation, you could do worse than Raid. It’s a good temporary measure to kill live bugs that you can see and maybe also eggs, if you’re spraying it around your bedframe and any crevices in your walls or floors. It’s best when combined with thorough vacuuming, decluttering, and encasing your mattress and box spring.

For lasting results, though, you should arrange for professional extermination as quickly as possible to avoid having a small bed bug infestation spiral out of control.

If you see one bed bug, chances are good that your house is on the verge of an infestation, if it’s not already infested. The question has been asked: Does Lysol kill bed bugs? Let’s take a look at some of the facts:

• It’s vital to address a bed bug problem promptly, and Lysol can, in fact, kill these insects on contact.
• Understanding how bed bugs hide, feed, and procreate is paramount to knowing how to eliminate them.
• Lysol is not adequate for tackling an infestation, and it’s important to understand why.
• Health concerns surrounding using large amounts of Lysol should be considered.
• A professional exterminator is going to be your best bet when it comes to dealing with bed bugs.

Read on to learn about how Lysol might play a part in the bed bug extermination process.

Lysol’s Knockout Punch: Bed Bugs Beware!

The good news: Lysol can kill not only germs and viruses but also various types of insects and creepy-crawlies, including bed bugs. So yes, if you spray Lysol directly on live bed bugs or their eggs, it will indeed kill them on contact. Bed bugs have a hard exoskeleton, but Lysol is strong enough to penetrate that tough outer shell. If you see these creatures in your home, you can certainly try spraying them; it will likely kill any the spray contacts. Similarly, if you spray in the areas where eggs are located, you will kill most, if not all, of the eggs. So, if you were to have only a couple of bed bugs in your home in the first place, the question of “Does Lysol kill bed bugs?” could be answered with a “yes.” However…

Beyond a Spray: Lysol vs. Bed Bug Infestations

Unless you’ve just transported one or two bed bugs into your home on your luggage or clothing, seeing one bed bug is almost certainly a guarantee that you have many bed bugs you’re not seeing. While using Lysol spray to kill a few bed bugs might seem like you’re making a dent, it’s likely you’re not. Unfortunately, a topical solution like Lysol isn’t going to be enough to kill all of the bugs. And since female bed bugs can lay eggs each day, leaving even just a few behind will probably result in a re-infestation pretty quickly.

Bed Bugs Unmasked: Masters of Hide-and-Seek

So, why can’t you just spray Lysol on all of the bed bugs? One reason is that these insects are excellent at hiding. Remember, despite their name, bed bugs aren’t limited to the bed… or even the bedroom. It’s likely you have bugs not only in and around your bed, but also around the rest of your bedroom. They might also be hanging out in the living room and in other rooms where humans spend time. They’ll enjoy their meals anywhere they can get them. Bed bugs will hide in the tiniest of crevices. One popular spot is along the seams of your mattress. Another is in the carpet right up against the baseboards. If there are any nooks and crannies in your headboard, walls, or elsewhere in your bedroom, you can count on bed bugs hiding there during an infestation. They’ll also hide in piles of clutter, including clothing, papers, books, and various personal belongings. Since you’re not likely to be able to spray inside of every crevice, using Lysol isn’t going to be enough to rid your home of a large number of bed bugs.

Health and Safety: A Disinfectant Dilemma

While Lysol is safe to use around the home to kill germs, the amount you’d need to use to battle bed bugs would be more than a quick spritz, like you’d use on hard surfaces. You’d also need to use it on pillows, on your mattress, and on your sheets and blankets. This isn’t necessarily safe, particularly if you’re doing this regularly in an effort to prevent or fight an infestation. Here are a few potential hazards of using Lysol to kill bed bugs by spraying it on the soft surfaces you’ll be sleeping on:

• Respiratory irritation. Inhaling fumes, particularly over a long period of time (such as overnight), isn’t good for your lungs. It could result in coughing, a sore throat, or even exacerbation of wheezing or asthma.
• Skin irritation. Lysol isn’t meant to be used on the skin. Wetting down your sheets or pillowcases with the disinfectant could result in skin irritation when it transfers to your face and body.
• Eye irritation. Spraying your pillow and pillowcase could transfer the spray to your eyes, causing redness, watering, itching, and burning.
• Pet health concerns. If you sleep with your pets, they could be affected by getting Lysol on their fur or skin. Remember, pets often lick their fur; if they ingest even a small amount of Lysol, this could lead to mouth burns or digestive issues.

In addition to health concerns from using Lysol to kill bed bugs, you might also discolor your bedding or weaken the fabric. Keep this in mind when using this type of spray on fabrics.

Calling in the Pros: When You Need an Extermination Expert

If you happen to have just a few bed bugs in your home and no female bugs have laid eggs yet, you can probably use Lysol to kill them. Also, if you happen to know where any eggs are laid and you can manage to coat them all with Lysol, you can kill them that way. Most of the time, though, the question of “does Lysol kill bed bugs” isn’t going to be answered in the affirmative. Since bed bugs spread quickly and can cause a heavy infestation in a relatively short period of time, DIY methods aren’t likely to work very well. And the longer you wait to properly address the problem, the greater your chances of having a large infestation on your hands. When you see insects or see signs of bed bugs, it’s best to call in a professional exterminator promptly. They’ll be able to use chemicals that are safe for your bedroom and effective at killing both the live bugs and their eggs.

Final Thoughts: Does Lysol Kill Bed Bugs?

The final answer to “Does Lysol kill bed bugs?” is “yes, but….” Yes, you can use it to kill bed bugs that you see walking around. No, you probably cannot use it to safely contain and eliminate an infestation. In short, if you have bed bugs, the best course of action is to contact an exterminator to remove them quickly and without harming health or property.

Many people have the misconception that a dirty home is what attracts bed bugs, but this isn’t the case. There are several factors to keep in mind when it comes to making your home less hospitable.

• Bed bugs tend to come into the home by hitching a ride on items you’re willingly carrying inside.
• Knowing the signs of bed bugs can help you catch an infestation quickly.
• Bed bugs feed off of human (and sometimes other mammalian) blood, so simply living in your home is what feeds them.
• You can take steps to make your home less attractive to bed bugs, but if you do see them, you’ll probably need to call an exterminator.

Check out this guide to learn how these unwanted guests enter your home in the first place and how you can give them the boot.

Bed Bug Infestations: How Do They Happen in the First Place?

While clutter can provide a hospitable environment after bed bugs have arrived (more on that later), these critters are opportunistic party-crashers. If there’s something soft and cozy going into your home and they’re in the area, they’ll become stowaways to infiltrate the new surroundings.

The main “vehicles” for them to hitch a ride on include items like a suitcase that’s been mingling with infested luggage on an airplane, a used chair you found for a steal at a secondhand shop, or even your clothing after you’ve unwittingly been hanging out with bedbugs in a hotel room or a friend’s home. You could have the cleanest luggage on the whole plane, and that thrift store might be upscale; that won’t stop them from hitching a ride. 

Because bed bugs are tiny and because they are adept at hiding in the slimmest of spaces (think about the crevices near your headboard or along the seam of your mattress), they can be happily eating and procreating for quite some time before being detected. This allows their numbers to grow rapidly, leading to an infestation.

Identifying the Unwelcome Guests: What Are the Signs of Bed Bugs?

When it comes to an infestation of some insects, like ants or silverfish, you’ll generally see them before you notice any potential damage or other signs. With bed bugs, this isn’t usually the case. It’s helpful to know what bed bugs look like, but in reality, you’re going to have other signs of these bloodsuckers before you’re likely to notice any live ones.

One of the most common signs you may have bed bugs is that you’re waking up with itchy, red bites. Bed bugs come out at night and feast while you sleep, so the evidence often begins with the bites they leave behind. The bites are often in lines or clusters. Not everyone reacts to bed bug bites, however, so a lack of bites doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have bed bugs.

Tiny brown or rust-colored stains on the sheets are another indication you may have unwanted houseguests. When the bed bugs feed, they’re drinking blood. If you roll over and crush them, that blood inside will make a little dark spot on your sheets.

Bed bug exoskeletons are another telltale sign you may have an infestation. The empty shells resemble tiny pieces of popcorn kernel shells. If you aren’t eating popcorn in bed and you see this type of material, it’s worth looking into sooner rather than later.

A large population of bed bugs could result in a musty odor. If you’re noticing any of the above signs and you also smell something sweet and musty, you might have a rather big problem when it comes to these critters.

Feeding Bed Bugs: What Do They Eat?

For bed bugs to want to stick around in your home, they’ll need to be assured of a steady supply of food. To put it plainly, bed bugs feast on blood. They prefer human blood, but if you or your human housemates aren’t available, they’ll get what they need from your cat, dog, rabbit, or other warm-blooded furry friend. 

They find you by being aware of carbon dioxide and heat, both of which you give off all of the time, but especially when you’re in one spot under the covers, sleeping peacefully. This is when they’ll make your move. They’ll take a little bite and drink their fill for several minutes. Once a bed bug is full, it will want to eat about once per week, but it can actually live for several weeks before feeding again. This means that even if you go on a three-week cruise and don’t leave any pets in the home, you can still come back to a live infestation.

Common Human Habits: What Behaviors Encourage Bed Bed Bugs to Come and Stay?

Once your hitchhiking bed bug has made it into your home and has found food, it’s likely to want to stay a while. But could you have prevented them from coming in in the first place? And what factors can persuade bed bugs to really get comfortable, have large families, and make it very difficult to get rid of them? Here are some ways your behaviors could encourage an infestation:

• Not taking care with luggage. It’s a tale as old as time: You go on vacation, check your luggage on the plane, then take it into the hotel room and plop it on the floor. If there are bed bugs present, they’re happily infiltrating the clothing, shoes, and suitcases you’ll be carrying into your own house. Take steps to keep your luggage safe and to inspect it for potential bugs before you bring it in the house.
• Using pre-owned furniture. Yes, thrift stores and yard sales are amazing places to get great deals. Unfortunately, they’re also amazing places to get not-so-great bed bugs. Really think about it before you bring upholstered used furniture into your home, and inspect it carefully for signs of infestation.
• Living in a cluttered environment. While clutter isn’t what attracts bed bugs in the first place, it can definitely impact whether they find some nice, dark places to hide. Clean up clutter in your bedroom. This could consist of clothing that isn’t hung up, papers, books, or just about anything stacked on a nightstand or on the floor.
• A lack of regular cleaning. While mess or even dirt won’t attract these bugs, regular tasks like vacuuming and dusting can remove potential hiding spots and make it less likely for them to establish a colony. Keep your home not only tidy but also clean to help cut down on the risk of an infestation.

Seeking Professional Help: When Is It Time to Call an Exterminator?

While there are a lot of “recipes” out there for DIY bed bug extermination, the reality is that you really need to call in a professional as soon as you see the signs of an infestation. Household items like bleach, rubbing alcohol, and baking soda may seem convenient, but they will not rid you of your unwanted houseguests. Really, the only way to be sure you’re getting all of them is with a combination of manual cleaning (some of which you can do), chemicals, and, in some cases, heat treatments. The latter two really need to be done by an expert.

By being aware of what attracts bed bugs to your home as well as what encourages them to stick around long-term, you can minimize their impact. Once you experience bed bug bites or see the other signs they’ve moved in, though, it’s time to call in the big guns to get your home back to its normal, bug-free state.

While a description of bed bugs can be helpful, we all know that a picture is worth a thousand words. Whether you’re wondering if the creepy-crawly you found is a bed bug or you’re just curious, we’ve got bed bug images galore for you to check out so you know what bed bugs look like. If you’re trying to identify a bug you’ve found in your home, here are a few features to consider:

• What is the size and shape of the insect?
• Does it have wings?
• How does it move? Does it fly, crawl, or jump?
• Do you see antennae or a prominent mouth?
• What color is it?

All of these will help you determine if you do, in fact, have bed bugs or if what you’re looking at is something else. It’s helpful to know because while certain types of insect infestations can be remedied with DIY solutions, bed bugs are usually a different story and require the help of a professional. Read on to learn more about what bed bugs look like and to see bed bug images to help you out.

What Are the Different Types of Bed Bugs?

In the United States, the type of bed bugs you’re going to see the most are C. lectularius or C. hemipterus, which are known respectively as common bed bugs and tropical bed bugs. These are both common in the USA and in Europe, so even if you’ve been traveling around the country or in Europe, if you have bed bugs, this is probably what you have in your home.

If you have traveled to the Southern Hemisphere and spent some time in Africa or South America, it’s possible that some L. boueti bed bugs have hitched a ride home with you. Even avid world travelers aren’t very prone to this, however, since these critters prefer to feed on bats, not humans. Still, if you’ve been in one of these areas, it’s possible. 

When treating bed bugs, it doesn’t generally matter which type of bed bug you’re dealing with, as long as they’re actually bed bugs.

There are some other bugs that look very similar to bed bugs, though, and they might require a different approach. These mostly feed on either bats or birds, though, so while you might occasionally get one of these insects in your house, especially if you keep chickens or have a large population of bats near you, you’re not likely to have an infestation.

How Big Are Bed Bugs?

Most bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed. They’re about 1/4 inch long when they’re fully grown. If a bed bug has just eaten, it will often look rounder and a bit larger. While adult bed bugs are usually a medium-brown color, they’ll often look darker and redder if they’ve fed recently. 

Young bed bugs, called nymphs, are smaller and a translucent yellow or beige color. They’re more difficult to see because they’re lighter in color and a bit see-through. If they’ve recently fed, however, they’ll take on a reddish-brown or even black color.

What Do Bed Bug Eggs Look Like?

Bed bug eggs are tiny, only about one millimeter long. They’re pearl white, and they’re often found in clusters in the same places you’d find adult bed bugs. For example, you might find bed bug eggs in the seams of your mattress, in the space between the baseboard and the carpet, or under couch cushions. As the eggs mature, they’ll develop a tiny black spot. Eggs hatch after about two weeks.

What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like?

Unlike mosquito or ant bites, bed bug bites are typically clustered on the skin. The bugs bite and feed, bite and feed, so you’ll often see them in a line, in a zigzag pattern, or in a little cluster of several bites. They’re red and they look similar to mosquito bites. 

Because bed bugs inject an anesthetic chemical as they feed, you won’t feel it biting you. You also won’t feel any itching until that anesthetic wears off, which takes a few hours. Bed bug bites are itchy, but they’re not likely to become infected, and bed bugs don’t spread any diseases. 

What Does an Infestation of Bed Bugs Look Like?

An early infestation of bed bugs doesn’t often look like much because the bed bugs are hiding by day and you might only experience a few bites here and there. Unfortunately, these critters multiply quickly, so a small infestation will rapidly become a large one in a relatively short period of time. Since a female bed bug can lay between two and seven eggs per day, you can see how just a handful of bugs can create a whole colony in very little time.

Once the infestation is well-established, you might find bugs on your mattress, on the wall behind your bed, on your carpet, or on other upholstered items in your home. They can also infest non-upholstered furniture, such as dining room chairs or your desk. You might find dark spots on your sheets from rolling over onto the bugs in your sleep, and you might also smell a sweet, musty odor that the bugs emit if they’re crushed. 

More Bed Bug Images 

Knowing what you’re up against is half the battle when you’re dealing with a bed bug infestation! Check these images against the bugs you’re seeing to determine whether you have bed bugs, and if so, please contact a professional exterminator to help you solve the problem.

How can you find bed bugs during the day? This can be a challenge! Bed bugs generally come out at night and feast on humans who are sleeping or resting in the vicinity. During the day, they hide in tiny crevices where they can stay out of sight. We’ll go into all of the info you need on how to find bed bugs during the day, but here are a few facts to get you started:

• Knowing where to look will help bring these buggers to light more quickly.
• If you can’t find actual bed bugs during the day, there are signs that will tell you that you do, in fact, have a bed bug infestation.
• Keep in mind that finding one bed bug almost definitely means that you have lots and lots of bed bugs.
• You will want to take immediate action if you find even one of these creatures.

What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?

Before you can look for bed bugs, you need to know what they look like. Bed bugs are small and brown. They’re oval-shaped and flattened, so they fit in super skinny cracks and crevices. Sometimes they’re fatter and redder after they’ve eaten. Since they eat at night, you’ll want to keep the time of day in mind when you’re looking; they’re likely to look plumper in the morning than in the afternoon.

They’re anywhere between 1/8” to about 3/8” long, depending on their age. While the smallest bed bugs can be difficult to see, they’re not too small to see with the naked eye.

Bed bugs have six legs and no wings, though you can see what looks like wing pads on the backs of adult bed bugs. They scurry, but they can’t jump or fly.

Can You Check for Bed Bugs During the Day?

While it’s difficult to find bed bugs during the day, it’s not impossible. What you need to do is look where they’re hiding. For the most part, they won’t be hanging out on your sheets or your pillowcase; instead, they’ll find tight, often dark areas where they can hide undetected until after the sun goes down. 

The edge of your mattress near the seams is a good place to start looking. Strip your bed and take a good look all along the edges. Remove the pillowcases and check the inner seams. You can also move the mattress and look at the edges of the bed frame that support the mattress. They might be hiding between the carpet and baseboard, or between the slats of wood if you have hardwood floors. 

You might not find any bed bugs even if you have an infestation, but there are other signs you can look for that will tell you that you have unwanted guests.

What Are Other Signs That You Have Bed Bugs?

When you’re looking during the day, you’re likely to find a few clues that you have bed bugs even if you don’t see any live bugs. Here are a few of them:

• Dead bugs. You might roll over onto live bugs in your sleep, and this will kill them. Dead bed bugs look just like live ones, only they might be flattened and surrounded by a little dot of fresh blood if they’ve recently eaten.
• Bed bug skins or shells. These critters molt their skins as they grow, leaving behind what looks like an empty bug shell. These skins are translucent and the size and shape of a bed bug, but more often, you’ll find pieces rather than a full shell.
• Bed bug poop. Yep, it’s not the most pleasant thing to find in your bed, but if you see brown dots or tiny smears, you might have stumbled upon the feces of bed bugs.
• A musty odor. When bed bugs get squashed, they emit a smell that’s similar to that of a stink bug. If you don’t know what a stink bug smells like, it’s a musty, slightly fruity smell. So if you have a musty or fruity odor in your bedroom, consider a possible infestation as the cause.
• Bed bug bites. There are several types of insects that can bite, but bed bug bites are characteristic in that they often occur in lines or clusters. Whereas a flea or a mosquito might give you one or two bites, bed bugs will often bite in a series of nips, leading to a pattern of dots on your skin. They tend to be very itchy.

What Should I Do If I Find a Bed Bug?

If you do find a bed bug during the day or otherwise (or if you simply find signs of bed bugs in your house), you’ll want to take quick action. Bed bugs can reproduce at an alarming rate. Female bugs can lay up to seven eggs per day, and they hatch after two weeks. Six weeks after hatching, the babies can begin reproducing. You don’t need to be a math whiz to recognize that you can have a very large infestation very quickly if you ignore the signs of having bed bugs in your house.

It’s also important to keep in mind that by the time you find bed bugs or detect the signs of an infestation, you don’t have one or two or a dozen bed bugs. You have a lot.

So, what should you do? Ideally, you will realize that you have this problem during the day and you will immediately call an exterminator, who will have the time that day to go to your house and begin an effective treatment. 

Unfortunately, these things do not always happen in an ideal fashion, so you might realize the problem at midnight, on a holiday, or on a week when your local professional exterminator is overbooked and can’t make it for a few days. 

In this case, you can try some DIY mitigation tips, but understand that it’s very unlikely that they’ll eliminate an infestation. You’re really going to need to get in touch with a pro ASAP. In the meantime, try these tips:

• Wash your sheets, blankets, comforters, and pillowcases in hot water and dry them on high in the dryer. Don’t try to save the environment or your money by washing in cool water or hanging the sheets on the clothesline; this isn’t the time for that. High heat kills bed bugs and their eggs, so that’s what you want to use.
• While the laundry is going, get out your trusty vacuum cleaner and vacuum the room to within an inch of its life. This means vacuuming the mattress, the bed frame, between the mattress and the box spring, the entire floor, any other furniture in the room, and the edges of the baseboards. 
• Try to get a mattress cover that encases the entire mattress. Put that on the mattress before making the bed up again with fresh, clean sheets and blankets. You’ll want to leave that cover on for weeks or even months unless your bed bug exterminator tells you otherwise, because any eggs in the mattress could hatch and you want to keep those bugs from emerging, feeding on you, and reproducing.
• Repeat these steps in each bedroom in your home. Also, vacuum every piece of furniture and every floor in the home. Wash whatever fabric you can (such as curtains and throw pillows) in hot water and dry on high heat if it’s safe for that particular fabric. 

Knowing how to identify bed bugs and how to find them during the day will help you get on top of an infestation sooner rather than later, so if you think you might have these unwelcome critters in your home, be alert for the signs and call in a professional as soon as you have confirmation that you have them.

If you’re in the midst of an infestation of bugs in your bed, you might wonder, does bleach kill bed bugs? While it’s understandable that you’d want to try just about anything you have in your house to combat this problem, the unfortunate answer is that bleach isn’t going to be of much help. Here are some things you should know:

• Bleach is caustic and can kill one or more bed bugs on contact.
• It’s too harsh to use in amounts large enough to do any damage to a bed bug infestation, however.
• You also wouldn’t be able to get bleach into the tiny areas where the bed bugs are living.
• Most DIY measures simply aren’t up to par when it comes to eliminating bed bugs.
• There are some ways you can reduce the number of bugs, however, and we’ll talk about them in this article.

Why Won’t Bleach Kill Bed Bugs?

Bleach will kill bed bugs if they’re submerged in it. So you could pick up bed bugs and place them in a jar of bleach to kill those individual bugs. The insects would also die if you were to spray them with bleach, as would their eggs. Additionally, if you add bleach to your washing machine while laundering bed-bug-infested linens, it will help kill off the bugs and eggs. So in these ways, bleach will kill some bed bugs.

However, bed bugs live deep within various recesses and crevices. Eggs are often deep inside mattresses, far from the outside surfaces. There’s no way for you to get the bleach into these areas even if you wanted to. So while you might conceivably be able to kill a few bugs with bleach, it’s not a strategy that will get you very far in terms of eliminating the problem. Keep in mind that bed bugs reproduce at an alarming rate; a female can lay many eggs each day, so killing the bugs you can see isn’t going to take care of an infestation.

Is It Safe to Try Using Bleach to Kill Bed Bugs?

The short answer to this is no. Bleach is toxic to bed bugs, yes, but it’s also toxic to humans, so if you were to go around spraying your upholstered surfaces with bleach, not only would you kill a few bugs but you’d also be exposing yourself and your family to toxic fumes and harsh chemicals. Furthermore, you’d likely ruin your furniture and, potentially, your clothing.

Can I Use Other Household Chemicals to Treat Bed Bugs?

In the throes of a bed bug infestation, it’s natural that you’d want to try something (anything!) to combat the problem as soon as possible. Rummaging around under your sink is likely to present you with a bunch of options, but none of them will really be suitable for handling an infestation. Here are a few examples of things that won’t work to treat a bed bug problem:

• Hydrogen peroxide: Like bleach, hydrogen peroxide will kill bed bugs with direct contact. Also like bleach, it will lighten anything you apply it to, so be careful not to spray or pour it on upholstery or clothing. It won’t treat an infestation, but it can be used to kill individual bugs.
• Rubbing alcohol: Again, it can kill on contact but will do nothing for an infestation. Keep in mind that rubbing alcohol is highly flammable and has a strong smell that shouldn’t be inhaled for any prolonged period of time.
• Hairspray: Some people claim that hairspray will kill bed bugs. It can, if you successfully get it on an individual bug. Unfortunately, like the other DIY methods, it won’t do anything for a colony of bed bugs camping out in your bedroom.
• Household pesticides: Typical household pesticides contain pyrethroid or pyrethrin, which is often touted to kill bed bugs. Today’s bed bugs are often resistant to these chemicals, however. In addition, they’re not always safe to use around humans or pets. 

What Can I Do to Kill Bed Bugs?

There are some things you can do that will help control a bed bug infestation even if it won’t completely eliminate it. This is useful if you wake up at night and find bed bugs or if you realize you have a problem on a weekend, when it might be more difficult or more expensive to get a professional exterminator. 

First, remove the sheets and blankets from the beds that are affected. Wash these in hot water (you can actually use some bleach in the water if it’s safe for the fabric) and detergent. You’ll want to dry these on high in the dryer, too.

Vacuum your mattress and all around the bed, including along the baseboards, around the bed frame, and between the mattress and headboard. Think about the tiny areas where bed bugs might be hiding, such as in the mattress seams and on and under the box spring. Do this in every room that might be affected.

Don’t forget that bed bugs can live in other areas of the home, too, including the living room couch, the recliner, and even in and around upholstered kitchen chairs. Vacuum around all of these areas and launder throw pillows and blankets.

If you have a cover that encases the entire mattress, put that on, as it can prevent the bugs that hatch from eggs inside of the mattress from biting you.

Keep in mind that these are temporary measures; to completely eliminate a bed bug problem, you’ll really need to hire a professional.

How Do Professional Exterminators Deal With Bed Bugs?

Is an exterminator really necessary when dealing with bed bugs? Yes, usually. While you can reduce the number of bed bugs on your own, you aren’t likely to be able to eliminate the problem. Professionals know how to deal with these critters in a way that’s safe for you and deadly for them. 

They have a variety of tricks up their sleeves, including:

• Heat applications
• Injection of pesticides into crevices
• Spot treatments
• Pesticide dust

Some exterminators even have specially trained dogs who can sniff out infestations!

In addition to these measures, they’ll do some of the same things you’re advised to do on your own, like encase your mattress in a cover, vacuum, and clean the bedding. 

Even with professional treatment, it will take a couple of weeks to largely solve the problem, and it will likely take more than one application. In addition, your mattress might need to stay encased for a much longer period of time, as bed bugs trapped inside can live for months without a food source. 

If you follow the self-help methods and also hire an exterminator, it’s likely you’ll be sleeping comfortably within a matter of days and bed bug-free after about two weeks. Finding bed bugs in your home is never fun, but it’s not a lingering problem as long as you act as quickly as possible and remain watchful for any signs of a re-infestation.

You might have heard anecdotes about people using baking soda to kill bed bugs. Is there any truth to these tales? The most likely answer is no. Baking soda doesn’t have any qualities that would cause harm to these common creepy-crawlies. 

• Baking soda is often rumored to be a good DIY method of dealing with bed bugs, but it doesn’t work.
• There are other similar substances sometimes recommended, but they generally don’t work, either.
• You can reduce the number of bed bugs taking up residence in your home with some simple DIY measures, however.
• You’ll probably still need to call in a professional unless you caught your infestation extremely early.

Ready to read more about it? We’ve got the facts you need in this guide to why you shouldn’t count on baking soda to take care of your bed bug problem.

Why Can’t You Use Baking Soda to Kill Bed Bugs?

The reason people think baking soda would work to kill bed bugs is that it’s a powder that tends to be drying. In some cases, if an insect is covered in a powder, the powder absorbs liquid from the bug, dehydrating it. In theory, some folks believe baking soda can accomplish this mission, leading to quick deaths and the termination of the bed bug infestation.

Unfortunately, baking soda doesn’t work that way. Instead of dehydrating the bugs, it’s more likely to just break down when exposed to moisture. So, even if the powder does make it into the insects’ shells, which is unlikely, it’s not going to do enough harm to kill them.

Other theories might be that baking soda is sharp enough to irritate and cut up the insects’ exoskeletons or that it’s harmful if the bug were to eat it. On the first note, it’s not true; baking soda isn’t abrasive enough to cause damage to the insects. And on the second, bed bugs drink blood and wouldn’t ingest baking soda. 

Another reason you can’t really use baking soda to kill bed bugs is that bed bugs hide in tight spaces. Even if baking soda worked, there’s no way you’d be able to get it into every crack and crevice where your creepy-crawly bedmates are hiding. These areas might be tiny cracks in your headboard, the space between your carpet and the baseboard, or between the boards of a wood floor. 

What About Diatomaceous Earth?

If you’ve thought about the ways baking soda might kill a bed bug, you also might have considered diatomaceous earth, which is a substance that does work to dehydrate bugs. It also works by damaging their exoskeletons. 

This substance can be used to exterminate other types of insects, such as crickets and slugs, but it’s not effective on bed bugs. A small 2013 study found diatomaceous earth ineffective when it comes to controlling bed bugs. The conclusion was that while it’s good for softer-bodied insects, bed bugs aren’t particularly prone to dehydration from powdery substances. The study did show some improvement when diatomaceous earth was used on a small infestation where the residents weren’t home much, but for typical infestations, it’s considered ineffective.

Are There Any DIY Substances You Can Use to Kill Bed Bugs?

There are a variety of do-it-yourself bed bug remedies floating around the internet, but do any of them work? Here are several that you might have read about:

• Vinegar: While vinegar might kill some bed bugs on contact, you’re not going to be able to apply enough of it to eliminate an infestation.
• Rubbing alcohol: Similar to vinegar, rubbing alcohol can kill bugs when you spray it directly on them but won’t cure an infestation.
• Bleach: Bleach is caustic and can kill on contact, but that’s all. It’s also not safe to be spraying bleach around your bed and it can harm your mattress. 
• Lysol: Lysol kills bed bugs, but it doesn’t kill their eggs. Since a female bed bug can lay an impressive number of eggs each day (500 over their lifetimes!), using Lysol won’t solve your problem.
• Dryer sheets: While dryer sheets might, in theory, repel bed bugs, they definitely won’t be any help if you already have them.

So, if bed bugs are so difficult to get rid of on a DIY basis, what should you do if you see the signs of an infestation?

What’s the Best Treatment for Bed Bugs?

The best treatment for bed bugs is a combination of at-home measures and professional help. 

The fastest way to get rid of bed bugs is to call an exterminator. These pros see bed bugs all the time and know how to rid you of your problem quickly and as simply as possible. They’ll use a combination of manual cleaning and chemicals to physically remove the bugs they can see and kill the ones they can’t see.

Remember that bed bugs hide in tiny crevices, so any home remedies you try aren’t going to be able to get to them. They also lay eggs, which are not always susceptible to the same substances that kill adult bugs. This combination of attributes makes bed bugs notoriously difficult to evict once they’ve found a comfy spot in your home.

In addition to securing the services of a professional exterminator, you can help the situation along by keeping the area as clean as possible. Strip your bed and wash all of the bedding on high heat. Dry it on high, too. Keep the comforter from draping down to the floor. Vacuum all around the bed, mattress, bed frame, and floor under and around the bed. If you have books, clothing, or anything else stacked up anywhere near the bed, remove it and clean around it.

When you combine your efforts with those of a pro, you’ll be saying buh-bye to those bed bugs in a matter of a week or two. While you can’t use baking soda to kill bed bugs effectively, teaming up with an exterminator will have you itch-free as quickly as possible.

The idea of having bed bugs might make you downright itchy, and for good reason. First, they’re squirmy and creepy, and the psychological reaction to having insects in your home or on your body might make you feel a bit squeamish. They also bite, and those bites can lead to quite a bit of itching. But when answering the question, “can bed bugs live in your hair?”, we have some reassuring news:

• No, they don’t live in your hair.
• They actually don’t live on your body at all.
• They also won’t live on the bodies or in the fur of your cats and dogs.
• Bed bugs like to live in dark crevices, such as under your mattress.
• They do, however, feed on humans.

Keep reading to learn more about why bed bugs don’t live in your hair, where you’ll find them instead, and other considerations to keep in mind.

Do Bed Bugs Live in Your Hair?

No. Bed bugs don’t live on people; they don’t have “sticky” legs and aren’t able to grip onto hair well, so they won’t take up residence on your scalp. They usually live in small spaces that are dark and hard for a person to access. Examples might be in the seams of a mattress, behind a bed frame, or under couch cushions. They often live in homes, but they can also live in places like hotels and movie theaters. If there’s a hiding spot and one or more humans who spend a few hours in the general vicinity, bed bugs will find that place attractive.

While bed bugs don’t live in the hair, they can crawl across your hair as they seek out some exposed skin to bite. If you have thick hair, it’s unlikely that they’ll bite your scalp, as they don’t want to bother trying to dig through your hair to get to the blood vessels just under your skin. Instead, they’ll usually go to other areas of your body, like your neck, back, arms, or legs.

Can Bed Bugs Live on My Pet?

Bed bugs don’t live on pets for the same reason they don’t live on humans. They prefer hiding. They also are unlikely to bite your pet, especially if he has thick fur. If you have a pet with thin fur or no fur in some patches, that makes it more likely they’ll experience a bite. In addition, if the bed bugs don’t have a nice, tasty human to snack on, they might go take a bit of your pet’s blood, even if they have to forage through the fur to find their skin. Overall, though, your pet is at low risk of being bitten.

It should also be mentioned that, unlike ticks and mosquitos, bed bugs don’t carry parasites or diseases. So you don’t need to be concerned about your pet (or you!) picking up a virus or some other nasty germs from bed bugs, even if they do get bitten.

How Can Bed Bugs Go From One House to Another?

If bed bugs aren’t hanging out in your hair or on your body, how do they manage to travel so easily from home to home? They don’t jump or fly from person to person or from pet to pet. Instead, they usually hitch a ride on your clothing, in a suitcase, in a backpack or purse, or on some other fabric that you are toting along with you. 

If you stay in a hotel with bed bugs, for example, they can crawl into your luggage and make it into your home that way. In fact, the next time you check luggage, it’s possible that someone else is carting home these little buggers and that some of them might decide to move into your luggage while in the cargo hold!

Bed bugs can also travel through checked coats or from someone else’s furniture into your purse or even in the seam of your jeans. We know it’s not nice to think about, but that’s how they manage to get around so quickly.

How Can I Prevent Bed Bugs From Entering My Home?

Preventing bed bugs is much easier, more effective, and less stressful than trying to mitigate the situation once they’ve moved in and made themselves comfy in your comforter. Here are a few tips to keep in mind while out and about:

• Don’t put your bags on the floor of hotel rooms. Also, avoid putting them on upholstered chairs and on the bed. Instead, choose a hard surface, like a counter or table. You can also use the luggage rack if there is one.
• Pull back the sheets from hotel beds. Make sure you don’t see any bugs or debris that could indicate a current or recent infestation. If you bring your own pillows with you on vacation, buy inexpensive ones that you can leave behind.
• Use mattress covers that encase the mattress. You can also put one on your box spring. This will prevent bugs from hiding in the seams of the mattress, and they’ll also make any insects easy to see right away.
• Check second-hand furniture carefully for signs of an infestation. You might be able to pick up an upholstered chair for a steal at a thrift store, but it’s important to make sure you’re not getting some unwanted critters thrown in for free. Check under cushions and along the seams of furniture for live or dead bugs, pieces of their shell, or rust-colored spots that could be left by their feces.
• Keep your home, particularly your bedroom, free from clutter. Minimizing potential hiding spaces can help you become aware of an infestation more quickly than if they’re allowed to breed and multiply unchecked. Vacuum regularly, paying special attention to the areas behind and around the bed, under the night tables, and between the mattress and box spring.

What’s the Best Way to Get Rid of Bed Bugs?

The best way to rid your home of bed bugs is to call a professional exterminator. You can try to defeat them yourself by meticulously cleaning soft surfaces, washing laundry in hot water and drying on high, and vacuuming very frequently. If you want relatively quick results, though, it’s best to call in a local exterminator to solve the problem. They will use chemicals that are safe for you but not so safe for the bugs, and your treatment will usually include two visits. 

Bed bugs are uncomfortable to think about, and they can make you and your household members quite itchy due to their bites, but keep in mind that they’re not dangerous and they can be dealt with. Don’t panic; instead, contact a trusted exterminator and follow their instructions carefully to beat your bed bug problem in just a couple of weeks.

Can bed bugs jump? Well, they can certainly give you the heebie-jeebies. The idea of having bugs in your bed is disturbing, and worrying about whether they can jump or fly and land on you can be even more bothersome. We’ve got good news and bad news when it comes to whether bed bugs can jump:

• Bed bugs do not jump. Whew!
• They also don’t fly, which is even better news.
• They can crawl, though. That’s how they get around.
• And they’re great at hiding, so you might not know you have them.
• Oh, and did we mention that they bite?

Don’t worry, though! We’ve got the information you need to keep these creepy crawlies away from you and your bed.

Can Bed Bugs Jump?

We know that bed bugs don’t jump or fly, which is a relief. They don’t have wings, and they don’t have strong back legs that would enable jumping. 

What they do is crawl. They shimmy along surfaces that are partially or completely hidden, such as along the seams of mattresses, across the back of headboards, and in the grooves of a bed frame. They can scurry pretty quickly, so if you see one in motion, you might need to move fast to catch it. At night, they emerge from their hiding places to feed on whomever is sleeping nearby.

How Do Bed Bugs Spread?

If bed bugs can’t jump, then, you might wonder how they manage to spread so easily. The answer is that they hitch a ride to wherever they end up. 

Here’s how it works:

An unsuspecting person spends some time at a home or business establishment that has a bed bug infestation. Remember that you don’t necessarily have to sleep there; bed bugs can be hiding in chairs, carpeting, couches… you get the idea. Maybe you put your purse or briefcase on the floor or on an upholstered chair. A female bed bug crawls into your bag.

When you get home, you put the bag on your bedroom floor, where the bug emerges, saunters over to your bed or some other furniture, and lays some eggs. Females can lay up to seven eggs daily. If a male bug accompanied her on her journey, you can see how this will lead to an infestation in no time at all.

Those eggs hatch about two weeks later, and you’ve got yourself a few (or a lot of) bed bugs. They multiply quickly. 

Then you invite a friend over, who places her coat on your bed. You see where this is going. Bed bugs spread rapidly with no jumping or flying necessary.

What Jumping Insects Look Like Bed Bugs?

If you’ve encountered a brownish bug on your bed that’s jumping or flying, the good news is that it’s not a bed bug. The bad news is that you have an unidentified bug in your bed. Here are some of the possibilities as to what it might be:

• Carpet beetles. These can fly, but they don’t look too much like bed bugs. They’re hairier and have a patterned appearance. They also won’t usually hang out in your bed unless they land there temporarily.
• Fleas. Fleas are smaller than bed bugs, but they’re brown or black and they do jump. Fleas typically don’t live on human blood, so an infestation is more likely if you have furry pets. 
• Spider beetles. These are about the same size as bed bugs and they’re brown, but they tend to be rounder and glossier. They also don’t bite. They can fly, however. They usually live where there’s old or rotted wood, so if you live in a wood home that might have some damage or rot, this might be your bug.
• Stink bugs. These pungent critters live up to their name and emit a smelly substance if they feel threatened. They’re brown and they fly. These bugs usually go into houses in the winter when it’s too cold outside.

Do I Have Bed Bugs?

If you’ve determined that the bugs you’ve seen are not flying or jumping, now it’s time to think about whether they’re actually bed bugs. We have a fairly comprehensive guide on how to check for bed bugs that you should look at.

To summarize that process, you’re going to want to look for telltale signs (rust-colored spots on the sheets, insect shells/casings, and actual live bugs in hidden crevices. 

In addition, bed bugs have a specific biting pattern that’s different from many other insects. If you get bitten by a mosquito or a spider, you’ll generally have a bite here and there in no discernible pattern. When you are bitten by bed bugs, however, the bites will usually show up in a line, a cluster, or a zig-zag pattern. They don’t just bite you once and get on with their day; instead, they bite, walk a little, bite, walk a little, and so on. 

Bed bug bites can be quite itchy and they can take a week or two to clear up. If you have an infestation, you probably won’t get all of your bites in one day, though, so you’ll see clusters popping up on exposed skin over a period of time. These bites typically don’t get infected and very rarely cause a serious allergic reaction. They’re unpleasant, though, so you’ll want to get the issue taken care of sooner rather than later.

What Should I Do If I Have Bed Bugs?

Once you’ve determined that the insects plaguing you are, in fact, bed bugs, there are some steps you’ll want to take immediately. 

First, strip your bed. Toss the sheets in the wash on high. Once they’re done, put them in the dryer on high and put your blankets and comforter in the washing machine. Now isn’t the time to try to save energy by using your clothesline; the sun won’t kill bed bugs or their eggs. Put the items in the dryer.

Next, use your vacuum cleaner on the mattress, paying special attention to the seams and edges. Take off the mattress and do the same with the box spring or platform. If you can, remove that and vacuum all of the nooks and crannies around the frame. Finally, vacuum the carpet.

Will this process remove all of the bed bugs? No, it will not. But it will buy you a little time (as in a day or two) before a professional exterminator comes to take care of the problem. 

Can you DIY bed bug remediation? Probably not. It would be possible if you were willing to vacuum very frequently while also using chemicals, but keep this in mind: An exterminator is well-practiced at using chemical pesticides safely. They will also usually guarantee their work for some period of time. Using substances like vinegar, bleach, or rubbing alcohol is not effective and will just prolong the problem.

In conclusion, if you see insects in your bed that are jumping or flying, they’re not bed bugs. Crawling bugs that bite you in a zig-zag or clustered pattern very well might be. Bed bugs are yucky, but they’re not dangerous in the vast majority of cases. Consulting a professional will help you mitigate the problem sooner rather than later.

When faced with the problem of bed bugs, it’s natural to look around your home to figure out what you can use to kill them quickly. Most people have isopropyl rubbing alcohol in their medicine cabinets, which is great for disinfecting surfaces and cleaning out certain wounds. But is it good for stopping a bed bug infestation in its tracks? Here are some fast facts:

• Rubbing alcohol can kill bed bugs on contact.
• It can’t eliminate an infestation, however.
• There are some dangers to using rubbing alcohol.
• There are more effective ways of eliminating bed bugs.

Will Alcohol Kill Bed Bugs Instantly?

The quick answer to this question is yes, sometimes. If you were to apply the chemical to live bed bugs or their eggs, it’s likely to kill them. It isn’t completely effective in killing live bugs or eggs, however. It’s also ineffective to spray it on your mattress in terms of ending an infestation.

When it comes to bed bugs, you’re only seeing a fraction of the total number of insects. There are also eggs to think about. If you see a live bed bug and you successfully kill it with rubbing alcohol, you’re not solving the problem of all of the other bugs (and eggs) hiding in places you can’t see. 

So while you might be able to kill some live bed bugs with an application of rubbing alcohol, you aren’t going to be able to get it into all of the cracks and crevices where they’re hiding. Since bed bugs reproduce extremely quickly, it takes a concerted effort and often professional extermination to truly solve the problem.

Is It Safe to Use Rubbing Alcohol on Bed Bugs?

In general, rubbing alcohol is safe to use in small amounts. When you use it in large amounts, however, such as if you spray an entire mattress with the alcohol, you’re exposing yourself to fumes that could be dangerous. 

If you get it on your skin in small amounts, such as when cleaning a piercing or a scratch, that’s safe. If you pour it on in copious amounts, though, you’ll dehydrate your skin, which can make it dry and irritated. This isn’t much of a danger, but you should keep it in mind if you’re getting the liquid on yourself while spraying or pouring it on live bugs.

Finally, alcohol is extremely flammable. Not only is the liquid itself prone to catching on fire, but so are the vapors. So never use it in a room with an open fire, such as a fireplace, as this is extremely unsafe.

What Are Some Other Home Remedies for a Bed Bug Infestation?

People often ask if rubbing alcohol or bleach can be used to kill bed bugs, and the answer is generally the same: You can kill individual bugs, but you cannot get to the root of the problem and end an infestation. If you kill a few bugs that you find on your mattress, it isn’t going to make much of a difference when it comes to how many bites you get or whether there are bugs living in and around your bed.

There are really no good home remedies to completely eliminate a bed bug infestation, but there are some measures you can take to reduce the number of bugs before and during professional extermination.

First, physically remove as many bugs as you can. Strip the bed and put the sheets and blankets directly in the washing machine. Use the hottest setting to wash them, then dry them on high heat. The heat will kill the bugs and most of the eggs.

Then vacuum the mattress, focusing on creases and corners. Pull the mattress off and vacuum the box spring and all around the bed frame. Move the bed frame away from the wall and use the hose attachment to get all of the nooks and crannies between the baseboard and floor and in any corners. Finally, vacuum the rest of the room. If you have other upholstered furniture (such as a sofa or chair) in the room, then vacuum that, too. 

This process will kill many of the bed bugs and eggs, though it’s unlikely to remove them all. You can use a mattress cover that encases the entire mattress to prevent bites from the bugs that will hatch from the eggs left over in the mattress.

How Can I Be Sure That I Have Bed Bugs?

Seeing any creepy crawlies on your bed is stressful, but not all of them are necessarily bed bugs. There are a few things you can look for to determine if the bugs you see are actually bed bugs or just bugs in your bed:

• Bites that are in a cluster or a line. Bed bugs don’t bite once and wander away; they bite several times in one area, often in a line or a zigzag pattern.
• Spots of human blood on the sheets (usually from squished bed bugs that have just dined on you).
• Spots of bed bug excrement. This looks like brown or rust-colored dots. 
• Pieces of bug skin. This looks like you’d imagine an insect exoskeleton to look. It can resemble flakes or material that looks a bit like the shell of a popcorn kernel.

You’ll find these signs on your sheets but also in the areas where they hide. When checking your mattress, focus on the seams on the edges and corners, for example. These bugs will also tend to hide in and around the bed frame and in crevices of the headboard. They might be on the floor under the bed. If you have carpet, check the edges where it touches the baseboards.

Other insects that might be sharing your bed could include fleas (if you have furry pets), bird lice (if you have birds), spider beetles, carpet beetles, and baby cockroaches. While it’s not fun to find any of these critters where you sleep, some are easier to get rid of than others, so it’s important to identify what you find. If you aren’t sure, try to catch one or more in a ziplock bag and show it to an exterminator.

Are Bed Bugs a Health Emergency?

The good news is that bed bugs don’t carry diseases. It would be very unusual for anyone to get sick from bed bug bites. The exceptions would be severe allergic reactions, which are exceedingly rare, and an infection from the bites themselves. In general, infected bed bug bites happen when someone scratches them excessively and if they’re in a situation where there’s a lot of bacteria around to get into the wound. 

So while bed bugs are certainly unpleasant, they are not an emergent health concern. You should get them taken care of as soon as possible, of course, because they multiply rapidly. Treating the room or the house for bed bugs takes a couple of weeks in most cases, and more than one treatment is often needed.