How to Check for Bed Bugs: A Step-by-Step Detection Guide
Bed bugs are on the rise across the UK, and {location} is no exception. These tiny blood-feeding insects are expert hiders, and an infestation can establish itself for weeks before you notice. Here's how to carry out a thorough check of your home.
What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?
Adult bed bugs are oval, flat and reddish-brown, roughly the size and shape of an apple seed (4 to 5mm long). After feeding, they swell and become more elongated and darker. Nymphs (juveniles) are smaller and pale, almost translucent until they've fed. Bed bug eggs are tiny white specks about 1mm long, often laid in clusters.
Step 1: Strip the Bed Completely
Remove all bedding — sheets, pillowcases, duvet cover and mattress protector. Place everything in sealed plastic bags to prevent any bugs spreading to other rooms. Wash at 60°C or higher, which kills all life stages.
Step 2: Inspect the Mattress
Using a torch, examine the mattress systematically:
- Check all seams, piping and handles — bed bugs favour these tight crevices
- Look at the underside of the mattress, especially along the edges
- Check for small dark spots (faecal staining) — these look like dots from a felt-tip pen and are digested blood
- Look for shed skins — bed bugs moult five times before reaching adulthood, leaving pale, translucent husks behind
- Check for tiny blood smears on the mattress surface — these occur when a fed bug is crushed during sleep
Step 3: Inspect the Bed Frame
Bed bugs prefer wood and fabric over metal and plastic. Examine:
- Joints, screw holes and cracks in wooden bed frames
- The slat supports and any areas where wood meets wood
- The headboard — pull it away from the wall and check the back surface
- If you have a divan base, check the fabric covering, staple lines and corner joins
Step 4: Check the Surrounding Area
Bed bugs don't just live in beds. Within 1 to 2 metres of the sleeping area, inspect:
- Bedside tables — inside drawers, underneath, and in screw holes
- Skirting boards — look for dark spotting in the gap between the skirting and the wall
- Electrical sockets and switch plates — bed bugs hide behind these (turn off the power before removing covers)
- Picture frames and mirrors on the wall near the bed
- Curtain hems and the top of curtain rails
- Carpet edges along the skirting board
Step 5: Look for Bites
Bed bug bites typically appear as small, red, itchy welts, often in lines or clusters of three (sometimes called "breakfast, lunch and dinner"). They usually appear on exposed skin — arms, shoulders, neck and face. However, not everyone reacts to bed bug bites — some people show no visible reaction at all, which is why physical inspection of the bed is essential.
What to Do If You Find Evidence
If you find bed bugs, faecal spots, shed skins or eggs at your {location} property:
- Don't panic — bed bugs are unpleasant but they don't transmit diseases
- Don't move to another room — this spreads the infestation
- Don't throw away the mattress — professional treatment can save it
- Contact a BPCA-registered pest controller — bed bug treatment requires professional-grade insecticides and a structured treatment programme, usually two or three visits spaced apart to catch all life stages
Prevention Tips
- When travelling, inspect hotel beds using the same method above before sleeping
- Keep luggage on hard surfaces, not on the bed or carpet, in hotels
- When buying second-hand furniture, inspect it thoroughly before bringing it into your home
- Use mattress encasements — these zip around the mattress and trap any bugs inside while preventing new ones from establishing
Early detection is the key to managing bed bugs. A small infestation caught quickly may need only one or two treatments. A large, established infestation can take weeks to resolve and cost significantly more. Regular checks, especially after travel, keep you one step ahead.