Bites alone aren't a reliable indicator
About 30% of people don't react to bed bug bites at all. Others get bites that look identical to mosquito bites, hives, or flea bites. Bites in a line or cluster are often cited as a tell-tale sign, but this pattern is inconsistent. Physical evidence on and around the mattress is a more reliable diagnostic.
What to look for on your mattress
Strip the bed and inspect with a flashlight:
Rust-colored or reddish-brown stains
Crushed bed bugs or fecal smears — look along seams, tufts, and tags
Dark spots (about the size of a period)
Fecal matter that bleeds into fabric like a felt-tip marker mark
Shed skins (cast exoskeletons)
Pale, translucent husks in mattress folds and box spring corners
Live bugs
Flat, oval, reddish-brown, about the size of an apple seed — hide in seams and tufts
Tiny white eggs or eggshells
About 1mm, pearly white, often clustered in crevices — require a magnifier to see clearly
Where else to look
Bed bugs don't stay in beds. Check:
- Box spring corners and fabric underside
- Bed frame joints and headboard crevices
- Nightstand drawers and back panels
- Baseboards within a few feet of the bed
- Electrical outlet covers (they hide behind them)
- Couch and upholstered chair seams if infestation is progressing
Why catching them early matters
A single female bed bug lays 1–5 eggs per day for several months. An early-stage infestation (under 100 bugs) concentrated in one room is significantly faster and cheaper to treat than a widespread infestation that has moved to multiple rooms or adjacent units. Don't wait to see if it resolves on its own — bed bugs don 't leave without treatment.
What not to do before treatment
- Don't throw away furniture — it almost never eliminates the infestation and can spread bugs to neighbors
- Don't start sleeping in a different room — bed bugs follow the host and you'll spread the infestation
- Don't use over-the-counter bombs — they scatter bugs further and create resistance
We handle bed bug inspections and treatment for Columbia, MD homeowners — see our indoor pest control service page for more on our inspection and treatment approach.