A common bed bug myth is they are so small you cannot see them. While scent detection is the more accurate inspection style, visual detection is possible, if you know the signs.
What do I look for?
Seeds
Bed bugs lay white/clear eggs that are no bigger than two grains of salt. An adult female can lay 1-5 of these eggs daily and 500 eggs in her lifetime!
Nymphs
These pests start tiny, around 1.5mm, but as they feed and molt nymphs will grow to 4.5mm in length. These nymphs start out small and clear/white, but as they grow, their color will take on a yellowish/tan tone.
Adults
Adult bed bugs have round, flat bodies. Once matured, they will be the size of an apple seed (5.5mm) with a reddish-brown coloring.
Throughout a bed bug’s life stages, the egg-shaped rear of their body will flatten out and shrink between feedings.
Where do I search?
Bed bugs feed on blood. Bed bugs prefer human blood but will feed on animals in the absence of a human host.
Bedrooms
The bedroom is the most common room where bed bugs make their home. Start by looking at your mattress seams and sheet corners where the fitted sheet hugs the mattress. If your bed has a box spring, inspect along its edges. When doing laundry, check your sheets and linens for dark brown spots, signs of bed bug fecal matter. Check your nightstand and any cracks/crevices in the walls around your bed and the bed’s frame.
Living room
Another room where you may find bed bugs is the living room. Couches and recliners are common spots for midday naps, which means prime real estate for bed bugs. Check the edges around the bottom of the sofa. Look beneath and behind cushions, and along the seams. Inspect coffee tables and decorative furniture. If you have a recliner, check behind the chair’s footrest and beneath the seat.
Armed with this information, visual detection of bed bugs is possible. However, this inspection method is only 40% – 50% accurate. When you bring in our trained canine scent detection teams, that accuracy can rise to 95%!
Don’t risk a false positive and pay for treatment you don’t need. Or worse, a false negative that allows the infestation to grow! Contact Pronto today to learn more about our scent detection and bed bug control services.