Signs of Bed Bugs on a Mattress

Bed bugs are most commonly found in and around our beds, according to entomologist and professor Michael F. Potter. Properly identifying bed bugs is crucial as it is typically the first step in controlling an infestation. If you think you might have a bed bug problem, watch for some characteristic signs of bed bug activity.

Bites

• Bed bug bites may indicate the presence of bed bugs on your mattress, surrounding areas in the bedroom or in the rest of your dwelling, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Learning to properly identify bed bug bites is important in determining whether you have bed bugs on your mattress. Bed bugs tend to seek blood meals from hosts such as humans and animals at night time.

  Depending on each person's sensitivity to the bite, the bite marks will vary, writes Dr. Susan C. Jones, professor of entomology at Ohio State University. Most bite victims may wake up to painless but itchy welts on their skin. The bite marks are generally small, hard and white in color and may show up in rows of three, according to Jones.

Live Adults and Eggs

• Finding the actual pests on your mattress, bedding or sleeping area is a strong indication of bed bug activity. Mature bed bugs can range from a straw color to a red-brown color, according to the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program. Before they feed, adult bed bugs are typically one-quarter to three-eighths of an inch long and very flat; after consuming blood, bed bugs become engorged and exhibit a dark red color. In places that have a large number of bed bugs, you may notice an odor that is sweet and musty--this smell originates from the scent glands of bed bugs.

  In addition, finding the eggs of bed bugs is another surefire sign that the pests are present on your mattress. Sometimes adult bed bugs will lay their eggs on the tufts of your mattress or box spring or in the folds of your linens, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Bed bug eggs are white, shaped like pears and measure around 1/32-inch in length.

Stains

• Various stains from the bed bugs may point to their presence on your mattress. Bed bugs that have just fed on blood sometimes get crushed by people in their sleep. Since the bed bugs are engorged with blood, you'll find blood stains on your bedding or mattress from the crushed bug, writes Jones. You may also come across fecal matter on or around the sleeping area; excrement generally appears as dark red-brown spots.

Remnants

• An immature bed bug sheds its skin or molts five times before it is fully developed; bed bugs molt after each meal. In an August 2008 edition of Entfact, a publication on insects and pests, Michael F. Potter explains that brownish molts from immature bed bugs confirm past or present bed bug activity. Other bed bug remnants you might come across are the eggshells from recently-hatched bed bugs on or around infested mattresses.