Signs of Bed Bugs: How to Tell If You Have an Infestation

How to Tell If You Have Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are small, elusive, and nocturnal. They hide during the day and emerge at night to feed on sleeping hosts. Many people live with bed bugs for weeks before realising — the bites are often mistaken for mosquito bites or a rash.

Early detection makes treatment faster, cheaper, and more effective. Knowing the signs of bed bugs — and where to look — can save you from a much larger problem down the line.

Bed Bug Bites

Bed bug bites appear as small, red, itchy welts on exposed skin — commonly the arms, shoulders, neck, and face. They often appear in clusters or lines (sometimes called "breakfast, lunch, and dinner" patterns).

Not everyone reacts to bed bug bites. Studies suggest up to 30% of people show no visible skin reaction at all. So if one person in a household has bites and another does not, it does not mean bed bugs are only in one room — the other person may simply not be reacting.

Bites alone are not enough to confirm bed bugs, as many insects produce similar marks. Physical evidence on the bed and surrounding furniture is a more reliable indicator.

Blood Spots on Bedding

Small reddish-brown spots on sheets, pillowcases, or duvet covers are often the first visual sign of bed bugs. These spots are left when a recently fed bed bug is accidentally crushed during sleep, or from small amounts of blood seeping from bite wounds.

Check your bedding carefully in the morning. Blood spots tend to appear near where you sleep — on the pillow area and the middle section of the fitted sheet.

Dark Spots (Faecal Marks)

Bed bug faecal marks are small, dark brown or black spots — roughly the size of a marker pen dot. They are made up of digested blood and bleed slightly into fabric, creating a smudged appearance.

Look for these spots along mattress seams, on the bed frame (especially joints and screw holes), behind the headboard, on bedside tables, and along skirting boards near the bed. In heavier infestations, they may also appear on walls and curtains near the sleeping area.

Shed Skins and Eggs

Bed bugs moult five times before reaching adulthood, leaving behind translucent, pale-coloured shed skins. Finding these casings is evidence of breeding activity.

Bed bug eggs are tiny (about 1mm), white, and oval. They are laid in clusters in the same hidden crevices where bed bugs harbour — mattress seams, frame joints, cracks in headboards, and behind skirting boards. They are difficult to see without a torch and close inspection.

Musty Odour

A moderate to heavy bed bug infestation produces a distinctive sweet, musty smell — sometimes described as similar to overripe raspberries or coriander. This comes from scent glands on the bugs' bodies.

If you can smell this in the bedroom, the infestation is likely already well established and professional treatment should be arranged promptly.

Where to Look for Bed Bugs

Bed bugs stay close to their food source — you. Start your inspection at the bed and work outward.

• Mattress seams — the piping around the edges of the mattress is the number one harbourage site.
• Bed frame joints — check where the frame connects, including headboard fixings, slat brackets, and screw holes.
• Headboard — pull it away from the wall and inspect the back surface.
• Bedside tables — drawers, screw holes, and the underside.
• Skirting boards — gaps between the skirting and the wall near the bed.
• Electrical sockets — behind socket plates near the bed (turn off power before removing).
• Curtains and soft furnishings — check along hems and seams near the bed.

When to Get a Professional Inspection

If you have found any combination of bites, blood spots, dark marks, or shed skins, you should act quickly. Bed bugs reproduce fast, and a small localised problem can spread to other rooms within weeks.

A professional bed bug inspection will confirm the infestation, identify the extent, and recommend the right treatment plan. At BuzzKill, inspections are free with no call-out charge. Book your inspection now.