How to Diagnose Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are small brownish red bugs that sleep during the day and wake up at night to suck human blood. It is rare to actually see a bed bug because they are very adept at hiding during the day and feeding only at night. Bed bugs can cause extreme itching from their bites. If you know what to look for, you will be able to diagnose a bed bug infestation and the symptoms of bed bug bites.
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Instructions
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Look for big red blotches on your skin to diagnose a bed bug bite. The blotches will be raised and can cause hives as large as 8 inches in diameter, according to Mayo Clinic. Other symptoms to look for are; blisters and pus-filled sacs on your skin.
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Smell the distinct odor that bed bugs give off when there is an infestation. Bed bug odor is a very intense sweet odor that is emitted by their oil secretions, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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Look for evidence of bedbug feeding sites where they cast off their skin. When feeding, bedbugs will often cast off their skin, which look like light brown crumbly bug carcasses. You may also find their skins in their hiding place in walls or furniture.
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Inspect your sheets for dark brown or rusty colored spots that are either bloodstains or bedbug fecal stains. You may also find bloodstains or fecal stains in their hiding spots on clothing, furniture or wallpaper if they are hiding in the walls.
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Place sticky bug traps where you think bedbugs may travel. If you think you might have bed bugs, confirm their hiding spots by placing sticky traps on your floor around your bed. Bed bugs hide during the day in furniture, including your mattress, or walls. They will travel across the floor, up to 20 feet, to your bed at night to feed. When you wake up in the morning, you may find one or two in the sticky trap.
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Tips & Warnings
Apply cortisone and do not scratch your bites when they begin to itch. Bedbug bites will not hurt while they are sucking your blood or even for a few days after because they secrete a painkiller into your blood stream while sucking. But after a few days, when the painkiller wears off, you may have intense itching.
If you do have a bedbug infestation, it is almost always necessary to have a professional exterminator come out to spray them in order to get rid of them permanently.
