How to Check New Pillows for Bedbugs

Even though many people associate bedbugs with unsanitary conditions, the bloodsucking insects also can be present in clean homes. All they need to live is a warm host and plenty of hiding places. Often bedbugs enter your home by hitching a ride in your suitcase after a hotel stay. If you buy new pillows from a store infested with bedbugs, your new purchases also may house the critters. To prevent a bedbug infestation, properly check your pillows before using them.

Instructions

• 1

  Inspect your pillow for bedbugs. Look for flat, reddish-brown insects that are the size of an appleseed. Keep in mind that newly hatched bedbugs are harder to spot because they are colorless.

• 2

  Look for blood spots on the outside surface of the pillow. Blood spots can indicate that bedbugs were crushed. Check for dark spots, which are the fecal matter of bedbugs.

• 3

  Examine your pillow and the pillowcase for light brown skins. Bedbugs shed their skins up to five times before they are fully grown.

• 4

  Hold the pillow close to your nose and smell it. If you notice a musty, sweet scent, it may indicate that your pillow is heavily invested with bedbugs.

• 5

  Return your pillow to the store or throw it out if there are holes in it. Once bedbugs get into the pillow, they are hard to control and get rid of.

• 6

  Check your body for bedbug bite marks if you are already using your new pillow. A row or cluster of itchy, red bumps on your skin can indicate there are bedbugs in your pillow. Bites are most likely to appear on your arms, hands, neck and face.