Bed bugs are a common concern in commercial settings, and for good reason. These bloodsucking insects feed on human blood at night and, if not caught early, can spread like wildfire to every inch of your property.
That’s why it’s important to stay vigilant about bed bug detection. Read on to learn how to detect bed bugs in your facility, what to do when you find them, and how to prevent future infestations.
Where Do Bed Bugs Hide?
The first step in learning how to detect bed bugs is knowing where they hide.
Bed bugs are tiny — about the size of an apple seed — so they can fit virtually anywhere. They like spending time in the dark and will avoid light whenever possible. This forces them to inhabit cracks and crevices you may not check often.
As their name suggests, their favorite spot to hang out is on bedding and mattresses. However, they may also be found on:
- Headboards
- Bed frames
- The carpet around the bed
- Box springs
- Electrical outlets
- Baseboards
- Dirty clothes
- Curtains
- Chairs or couches
- Rugs
- Drawers
Bed bugs can even hide behind loose wallpaper or pictures and posters hanging on the wall. When looking for bed bugs, it’s important to exhaust all possible hiding spots.
How to Detect Bed Bugs: 6 Signs to Look For
Commercial settings like camps, hostels, shelters, treatment centers, and dorms experience a high turnover rate and see many different people coming and going on a daily basis. As such, it’s important to conduct a walkthrough of your facility at least once a week, keeping your eyes peeled for any of the following signs of bed bug activity.
1. Red or Brown Stains on Bedding
Red and brown stains on mattresses, sheets, blankets, and pillows may indicate bed bug activity. The reddish or rust-colored stains result from the sleeper squishing bed bugs as they move around in their sleep. Brown stains, meanwhile, may be dried bed bug feces.
2. Bed Bug Bites
Another telltale sign of bed bugs is the appearance of bites. Bed bug bites are often clustered and appear as small, red bumps that are usually itchy and uncomfortable. They may look similar to other bug bites. However, you can tell if the bites are from bed bugs if there are more present when you wake up than when you went to sleep.
3. Bed Bug Eggs
Female bed bugs may lay up to 500 eggs during their lifetimes.
The most common places for them to lay their eggs are on or under mattresses, especially in the seams, on box springs, and in the creases of furniture. However, it’s important to keep an eye out for these small, translucent, whitish oval-shaped orbs in any undisturbed crevices around your facility.
4. Shed Bed Bug Skins
Bed bugs shed their exoskeletons several times as they grow from nymph to adult. These shed skins are translucent, hollow, and found wherever bed bugs may live.
Although bed bugs may scatter and hide when you disturb their residence, the exoskeletons are left behind. As such, you’re much more likely to spot these casings long before you find any live bed bugs.
5. Unexplained Musty or Sweet Odor
Once an infestation takes hold, you may notice an unexplained sweet or musty odor around the affected beds. This is usually not the first sign of an infestation, but it can help confirm your suspicions if you find other signs of activity.
Bed bug odors have been compared to raspberries and sweet almonds, while more advanced infestations may produce a rusty or mildew-like scent.
6. Live Bed Bugs
It’s rare to see bed bugs out and in action, but if you do, there’s no getting around the fact that these invasive pests have gripped your facility.
Bed bugs avoid light and detection at all costs. By the time you see any out in the open, there are likely hundreds or thousands more hiding in nearby cracks and crevices.
What to Do if You Detect Bed Bugs
If you notice any signs of bed bug activity, it’s important to promptly address the issue by stripping any affected beds and washing and drying the bedding on the highest temperature setting. Extreme heat is the most effective way to kill bed bugs, and the earlier you catch the problem, the easier it is to deal with.
If several beds or rooms are affected, it’s a good idea to call in a local exterminator to treat your entire facility.
To prevent future infestations, wash all new clothes and bedding that enters your facility and encourage occupants to keep the space tidy to help minimize the number of hiding spaces available. Additionally, you should train all your employees on how to detect bed bugs and consider investing in sealed, bug-proof beds and mattresses.
ESS Universal manufactures and supplies high-quality, cost-effective commercial grade beds, mattresses, and furniture to camps, hostels, shelters, dorms and more. View our entire line of furniture products including our popular waterproof foam mattress for institutional use, single metal bed frames, single over single bunk beds, single over double bunk beds, and triple bunk beds. Download our catalog for detailed information on our complete product line.
