Bed bugs: The main warning signs indicating you may have an infestation – Express

Blood stains on sheets and pillowcases

Whenbedbugsbite, they inject an anticoagulant. This stops the blood from clotting.

When thebughas finished feeding, the bites can continue to bleed for some time.

Bedbugshave a hollow tube like mouthpart, called a proboscis, which they use to suck up blood.

This is why a person may notice tiny spots of blood on their bedsheets or pillows.

Blood stains on sheets and pillowcases

Whenbedbugsbite, they inject an anticoagulant. This stops the blood from clotting.

When thebughas finished feeding, the bites can continue to bleed for some time.

Bedbugshave a hollow tube like mouthpart, called a proboscis, which they use to suck up blood.

This is why a person may notice tiny spots of blood on their bedsheets or pillows.

Spotting the shells, skin, or casings of abedbug

Spotting shed skin in or around thebedis one of the surest signs a person may have a big problem on their hands.

This cast skin is actually the moulted exoskeleton of thebugand indicates abedbuginfestation may be in full swing.

The moulting process (called ecdysis) leaves this tell-talebedbugevidence behind.Bedbugsgo through five stages of maturing before becoming an adult. At each immature stage, thebugmoults after a blood meal.

David Cain of extermination companyBedBugsLimited said: The problem ofbedbugshas been spreading globally since the late 1990s, and there is literally no country on the face of the planet that hasnt had abedbugproblem.

The first thing is you have to be able to recognise and distinguish abedbugfrom any other insect, said American Scientific.

Everything starts to look like abedbugif you start to worry about them.

An adultbedbugis about the size and shape of an apple seed.

If it has not fed recently it will be flattened and brown, if it has fed it will be round in circumference and reddish.

Immaturebedbugshave a similar appearance to adults, with the smallest being the size of the head of a pin.

You can then learn to look for their faecal spots, which can be easier to detect than thebugsthemselves.

How can I treatbedbugbites?

Bedbug bites usually clear up on their own in a week or so but there are things you can do to alleviate them.

The NHS recommends:

Putting something cool, like a clean, damp cloth, on the affected area to help with the itching and any swelling

Keeping the affected area clean

Not scratching the bites to avoid getting an infection

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Bed bugs: The main warning signs indicating you may have an infestation - Express