Having a concern that you might have bed bugs is no fun, whether you own a home or run a commercial lodging facility, especially if itchy and painful insect bites on you or your guests are the cause for your concern. However, once you are sure that you have a bed bug infestation, you can be proactive and take the proper steps to fix the problem.
One of the most guaranteed ways to confirm a bed bug infestation is by identifying their droppings. Not sure how to identify what could be bed bug droppings? Here are some important details to look for as well as some more information about why bed bugs are always unwanted guests.
Where to Look for Bed Bug Droppings
Bed bugs tend to live in mattresses more than any other piece of furniture. The seam and tags of mattresses are the most common places in which to find bed bug droppings, so if you think you might have a bed bug infestation on your hands, make sure to check these areas first. However, they can also take up residence in your box spring’s frame or your headboard, especially if these items are made of wood.
If you’d like to be particularly sure, you can also check along the corners of your walls and ceiling, as bed bugs will sometimes enter these areas and leave their droppings there, too. These insects typically won’t reside in other types of furniture, but if you’re noticing the warning signs in places other than a bed or bed frame, it’s worth it to take a closer look.
What Do Bed Bug Droppings Look Like?
Now that you know where to look for bed bug droppings, it’s important to know exactly what to look for. Bed bugs thrive on blood, which means their droppings typically have the same color as old or dried blood — a deep reddish brown.
Keep an eye out for what looks like tiny pieces of dirt or mud. Fresh bed bug droppings will be a brighter red, while older droppings will be darker brown. If you’re having trouble pinpointing the color based on the surface that the droppings were left on, you can take a baby wipe or wet paper towel and wipe up the spots. Against the white backdrop, it will be much easier to tell if these droppings match the reddish-brown description.
Since bed bugs are very small insects, their droppings shouldn’t be much larger than the tip of a pen. In fact, you might want to use a high-powered light or even a magnifying glass when searching for bed bug droppings to make sure you don’t miss them.
Sometimes the droppings will be fully intact, but sometimes they will appear to be smeared if they have soaked into or been rubbed on a surface. This is usually the case if the bed bug droppings are found within your bed sheets or on a part of your mattress that often comes into contact with other items.
Issues Caused by Bed Bugs
If you can confirm that you’ve found bed bug droppings in your home, you can be sure that you have some level of bed bug infestation occurring. There are a few reasons why an infestation of bed bugs is bad news.
Itchy and Irritated Bites
Though bed bugs aren’t known to carry disease, they do feed off of humans for sustenance, leaving itchy bites behind. If you’re noticing a large cluster of insect bites around your feet and ankles, these have likely been left by bed bugs.
While some people have mild reactions to bed bug bites, some people are more sensitive to these bites and will experience severe welts, extreme itchiness, and pain.
Mattress and Bed Frame Damage
An infestation of insects is never a good thing for the health of your mattress, even if you use mattresses and beds as durable as ESS Universal products.
Though our steel bed frames are generally safe from insect damage, wooden bed frames and less durable mattresses tend to be at a much higher risk of long-term degradation due to insect infestations. This means you’ll have to replace your bed frames and mattresses at a higher rate, causing financial strain and inconvenience.
ESS Universal manufactures and supplies high-quality, cost-effective commercial grade beds, mattresses, and furniture to camps, hostels, shelters, dorms and more. View our entire line of furniture products including our popular waterproof foam mattress for institutional use, single metal bed frames, single over single bunk beds, single over double bunk beds, and triple bunk beds. Download our catalog for detailed information on our complete product line.
