How to check for bed bugs

Check for bed bugs by looking for dark spots, reddish stains, and sweet musty odors around your bed, particularly in mattress seams, box springs, and nearby furniture cracks.

  1. Start with the mattress seams. Pull back your sheets and examine the head of your mattress where it meets the box spring. Look for dark or rust-colored spots, which are bed bug excrement, and small blood stains from crushed bugs. Use a flashlight to check the piping and tags along the mattress edges. Bed bugs love tight spaces and often hide in these seams during the day.
  2. Inspect the box spring thoroughly. Flip your mattress and examine the underside of your box spring, paying special attention to the corners and where the fabric meets the frame. Remove the dust cover underneath if possible and check inside the box spring. Look for live bugs, dark spots, reddish stains, or small brown shells from molted skin.
  3. Check the bed frame and headboard. Examine all cracks, joints, and screw holes in your bed frame. Pull the bed away from the wall and check behind the headboard if it's attached to the wall. Bed bugs often hide in these areas during daylight hours. Use a credit card to scrape along cracks to see if any bugs or debris come out.
  4. Examine nearby furniture and belongings. Check nightstands, dressers, chairs, and curtains within 8 feet of your bed. Look inside drawer joints, picture frames, electrical outlets, and baseboards. Pay attention to upholstered furniture, especially along seams and cushion cracks. Bed bugs can travel several feet from their hiding spots to feed.
  5. Look for additional signs. Search for sweet, musty odors in heavily infested areas. Check your sheets and pillowcases for small blood spots or dark stains. Look for small, itchy bite marks on your skin in lines or clusters, typically on exposed areas like arms, shoulders, and legs. Keep in mind that not everyone reacts to bed bug bites.
  6. Use monitoring tools for confirmation. Place bed bug interceptors under each bed leg to catch bugs trying to climb up. Set up sticky traps around the bed area. Consider using a bed bug monitor with a lure to attract bugs from hiding spots. Check these tools weekly for signs of activity. This step is especially useful if you suspect bed bugs but haven't found clear evidence.