Bed bugs seem to be everywhere lately – in apartment buildings, hotels and even hospitals. But these resurgent, resilient pests don’t just infest commercial dwellings – they can also be found in many homes across the country. Really, bed bugs can be found anywhere.

They are the Draculas of the insect world, feeding on blood and making their move in the dead of night. And unlike pests like cockroaches or flies, these bloodsuckers can survive and thrive in the cleanest of environments, so long as they can find a human blood meal. So how do they get into homes? The most common way is actually on personal belongings – whether it’s that vintage sweater you bought at a thrift store or a stowaway from your last vacation. These pests reproduce at an alarming rate, so it doesn’t take long for a couple bed bugs to turn into a couple hundred.

So, what do you do if you suspect bed bugs are in your home or business? What are some common signs or symptoms of bed bugs?

As bug bed pest control experts, we can shed some light on these annoying and aggravating pests so you’re no longer kept in the dark.

How Orkin Identifies Bed Bug Species

Our well-equipped laboratory helps Orkin pros and clients with the tools to accurately identify bed bugs and other specific pest species during infestations.

The Orkin Canada QA lab is well equipped with the latest in diagnostic and identification technology. The equipment used for analytical entomology in the QA lab includes a compound microscope with a digital camera. It is capable of magnifying objects up to 1,000x and capturing images at a high resolution to assist our technicians with high defined analysis (examination) of extremely small specimens.

Top-down view of an adult bed bug

What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?

Bed bugs are small, flat insects that are about the size and shape of an apple seed. They can range in colour from light tan to dark, reddish brown. They have a flat, broad, oval-shaped body with six legs and two antennae. Bed bugs cannot fly and have short, golden-coloured body hair that can make their bodies appear to be striped. Adult bed bugs are very small (4-5 mm long) but still visible to the naked eye—so you can put the microscopes away.

From egg to adult, the bed bug life cycle is quite astonishing. Bed bug populations can actually double about once every 28 days. Learn more about the bed bug life cycle.

What do baby bed bugs look like?

A baby bed bug, known as a nymph, looks like a smaller version of an adult. Though tiny, they are usually visible to the naked eye, becoming bigger each time they molt. They molt five times before becoming adults and a blood meal is required for each of the molts in order to grow.

Bed bug egg:

Close-up of a bed bug egg

Bed Bug Nymph:

Top-down view of a bed bug nymph

Where do baby bed bugs live?

Baby bed bugs live in the same harbourage sites as adults. In a typical home, there are many different harbourage sites where they can hide.

Because of their flat shape, the pests can easily hide in tight areas, making them difficult to spot. Homeowners may commonly find nymphs and eggs in the following places:

  • Inside furniture, mattress crevices or box springs
  • Behind picture frames, headboards or baseboards
  • Under peeling wallpaper
  • Inside electrical outlets or cracks in flooring

The pests are typically active at night and favour areas close to where people sleep. They are attracted to body heat, odour and the carbon dioxide emitted by their hosts.

Close-up of bed bugs crawling on top of a mattress

Do baby bed bugs bite?

As soon as a nymph hatches, it must feed on blood to stay alive, develop and molt to the next stage. For this reason, a baby bed bug will bite people. As the insects develop, they can go several weeks without feeding. Baby bed bugs feed more frequently and for shorter durations than adult bed bugs.

Bed Bug Behaviours & Habits

As pest control experts, we can literally spit out 100 facts about bed bugs, but we don’t want to overwhelm you. So here are some bed bug FAQs:

Do bed bugs jump?

Bed bugs do not have wings, and therefore are not capable of flying and cannot jump. Bed bugs accomplish their movement by crawling and climbing everywhere.

Bed bugs are very good climbers and have been known to climb heights and drop down from above. They will often climb walls and descend down onto beds or other areas for feeding.

How do bed bugs move?

These pests are speedsters. Bed bugs have been recorded travelling at about a metre a minute. For a human, of course, that’s nothing. But at a bed bug’s size, it’s a full-on sprint. In fact, it’s the equivalent of a person running the length of a football field four and a half times in 60 seconds.

How do bed bugs feed?

Bed bugs feed on animal blood and people’s blood during the night. These pests tend to pierce the skin that is exposed while sleeping, including the face, arms, hands, feet and neck. While they are not known to pass along any diseases or other illnesses, they can leave painful bites. The resulting welts often resemble flea or mosquito bites and can be equally irritating and itchy. In rare cases, some people may have an allergic reaction to a bed bug bite.

Curious to learn more? Here are the top 5 facts about bed bugs.

Signs & Symptoms Of Bed Bugs

Knowing the signs of bed bugs is the first step in finding and removing these pests.

Bed bugs usually stay close to feeding areas, so look for bed bugs in the areas where they congregate including along mattress seams, in the frames of beds or the headboards, behind baseboards and under carpet edges. Bed bugs can also hide behind pictures, door and window casings, loose wallpaper and any cracks.

Infestations tend to happen quickly and with little warning, so early signs of bed bugs often point to future problems. The insects stay hidden during the day and come out to feed at night. As a result, residents may miss early bed bug problems until pest populations are already hard to manage.

Where do bed bugs hide?

Bed bugs can hide just about anywhere; this is what can make detecting bed bugs so difficult. Typical hiding places are mattress seams, behind pictures, box springs, in curtains, behind headboards, in sofas, behind baseboards, bed frames, along carpet edges and night stands.

Bed bug stains on a mattress tag

Are bed bugs just in beds?

Bed bugs are not just in beds, although they usually hide within 3 to 6 feet of their feeding area.

Detecting bed bugs

You should regularly inspect all sheets and pillowcases for small brown blood stains (fecal spots) and inspect the seams and folds of mattresses for live insects and blood stains.

Bed bugs typically hide during the daytime, so it can often be very difficult to spot them. If you don’t see the actual bed bugs, look for tiny, rust-coloured stains that they leave behind on mattress tags and seams, ceilings, under seat cushions and behind headboards.

Keep an eye out for potential hiding places, such as buckling wallpaper or carpet, and conditions that can attract bed bugs like heat.

Other signs of bed bugs

Some additional symptoms of bed bug infestations include:

  • Bites on the legs, arms, neck or face
  • Blood spots, specks or smears on bed linens
  • Hatched egg shells or unhatched pearl white eggs glued on mattress seams or headboard areas
  • Brown or black stains on mattresses, headboards or box springs
  • Cast skins in bed crevices or fabric folds

If you do find traces of bed bugs in your home, here are some critical DOs and DON’Ts:

DO:

  • Contact a professional pest control company immediately in order to inspect the infested room and/or pre-treat rooms to which any guests might be moved. In British Columbia, you can only pre-treat when evidence of an infestation is found.

DON’T:

  • Disturb the room further. Leaving the “scene” untouched will help Orkin Canada diagnose the problem.
  • Take any items out of the room. Doing so will only help the bed bugs spread.

Learn more about Orkin’s professional bed bug services for your home.

Bed Bugs While Travelling

Why are bed bugs an issue for hotels, visitors and homeowners? Once inside a hotel or home, bed bugs can spread rapidly from room to room. They do so along pipelines, in vacuum cleaners or on clothing and luggage. Sanitation and the cleanliness of an establishment are not factors in bed bug infestations, and since bed bugs are such notorious hitchhikers, they can be found in almost any establishment – no matter how posh or upscale.

If you do find bed bugs in your hotel room, be sure to stop using the room and “quarantine” it. Notify management so they can relocate you to a different room.

Here’s the Ultimate Guide to Avoiding Bed Bugs While Travelling so you can prevent an infestation on your return home.

Bed Bug Bites

Bed bug bites are not only painful, but also itchy and irritating. We’re here to help you accurately identify these bites so you can take the first step toward professional treatment—and get back to a good night’s sleep.

Are bed bug bites a sign of an infestation?

What your bites look like and where they are located can signal that you might have a bed bug infestation. Read on for more information.

Bed bug bite appearance

Bites, stains (specks of blood or black fecal matter) on bedding and bed bug sightings are the main signs of infestation. Still, using bites to identify bed bugs is not reliable and is not recommended. While some homeowners may develop red, itchy welts immediately after a bed bug feeds, it may take hours or even days for others to show signs of a bite.

People commonly mistake a variety of other insect bites for getting bit by bed bugs. Many insect pest bites can create skin irritation similar to a bed bug, including mosquitoes, fleas, lice, and mites.

Bed bug bite location

Although an unproven observation, some sources suggest that the location of bed bug bites on the body can help residents recognize an infestation. This is an unreliable diagnostic tool. Bed bugs will bite any exposed part of the body. In fact, which part of the body the pests feed on mostly depends on the sleeping habits of their host.

Are bed bug bites itchy?

Not only are bed bug bites sometimes itchy, but they can cause additional problems. The pests do not carry or transmit any diseases, but people are often tempted to scratch itchy, irritated areas. Frequent scratching can cause secondary infections. While rare, allergic reactions may also result from bed bug bites.

Learn more about how to identify bed bug bites and how to treat them.

What does a bed bug rash look like?

A bed bug rash consists of red welts and bumps on the skin caused by bed bug bites. Resulting in mild to serious itching, this skin condition often increases in severity with the size of the bed bug infestation. Rashes may cover a small section of skin or large portions of the body.

After a bite, bed bug rashes may take a few hours or up to weeks to appear—or never show up at all, depending on individual sensitivity. While the pests do not transmit disease, scratching rash areas can cause bleeding, scarring or secondary infection.

Dogs and cats are also at risk for bed bug rashes. Pets may chew and scratch obsessively, which leads to bald patches in their fur as well as behaviour changes.

A bed bug rash usually fades within a few days, but in some cases, the irritation lasts for weeks. To reduce pain and swelling, avoid scratching and keep the affected area clean. Bed bug rashes and bites may reoccur as long as the infestation remains in the home.

A woman lying in bed, looking uncomfortable while scratching her arm, showing possible signs of a bed bug rash

Effective Bed Bug Pest Removal

Bed bugs can affect your sleep and your sanity! We know how frustrating and aggravating it can be to have a bed bug infestation on your hands. Here are some helpful things you can try.

DIY bed bug control

If you’re waiting for professional bed bug removal treatment and eager to find some relief, residents can try DIY bed bug control. None of these methods alone will solve a bed bug problem completely, but they can provide some short-term relief.

  • Vacuuming – A vacuum removes bed bugs from the surface of carpets, mattresses, linens and box springs. This method won’t get rid of the tiny eggs in floor cracks and other hard-to-reach areas.
  • Steam cleaning – This DIY bed bug control targets the stubborn pests deep in furniture and wall crevices. Its success depends on the type of steamer and proper use of equipment.
  • Laundering – To remove bed bugs from clothing, put clothes in the dryer on the hottest setting for 20 minutes. Keep in mind that some fabrics can’t stand extreme heat and may be damaged. This method is not practical for larger items.
  • Decluttering – Bed bugs love cluttered rooms – it helps to conceal them. Keeping spaces open eliminates hiding places and makes cleaning easier, but it won’t get rid of bed bugs.

Here’s a thorough step-by-step process on how to get rid of bed bugs.

Bed bug proofing products

There are some DIY bed bug control products available over the counter. These may contain or lessen the severity of an infestation, but they are most effective when used along with a professional bed bug treatment plan.

Barriers

Mattress encasements work by completely enclosing mattresses to keep bed bugs out, while bed leg protectors keep pests on the floor from climbing onto beds. Without a professional whole-home treatment, either product may simply drive the insects into other areas of the house.

To protect your family and your investment in bedding from bed bugs, Orkin Canada is happy to provide bed bug certified mattress and box spring encasements. Our collection is waterproof, breathable, non-allergenic, fire retardant and impermeable to dust mites, mould, bacteria and, of course, bed bugs. This luxurious fabric is soft to the touch while conforming to fit any mattress. Learn more about the benefits of mattress encasements.

Insecticide products

There are many insecticide products available over the counter and registered with the Federal government for domestic use. They can be used for DIY bed bug control. Those who decide to use such insecticides should always follow the label directions exactly. Improper use can harm the environment, the user and others in the building. Violation of the label or misuse of the product is an offence punishable under the Federal Pest Control Products Act.

Freezing

Does freezing kill bed bugs? Not necessarily.

Putting infested objects like clothes or bedding in a freezer can help get rid of the bed bugs, but each item should be placed in a plastic bag prior to freezing. Keep the temperature at -19 degrees Celsius for about four days for the greatest effect. Even then, some bed bugs may live through the freezing process.

Keep in mind that putting some items into the cold may damage them. Freezing is also best for small items, not whole-house control. For mattresses, furniture and other belongings, homeowners will need to explore other control methods.

Residents should not attempt to freeze bed bugs by turning off the heat or opening the windows in their homes during cool weather. This tactic does not work and can lead to burst pipes and structural damage.

Professional bed bug removal

There is no substitute for professional pest management. Our Orkin Pros are licensed experts who provide the safest and most effective bed bug removal. From using the latest in diagnostic and identification technology to our K9 bed bug detection dogs – Orkin uses a variety of effective strategies to properly assess your home and successfully manage your bed bug infestation. Contact Orkin today.