Bite marks, itching, or blood stains on sheets are not conclusive evidence of bed bugs. (A bedbug bite doesn’t look too special, and some people don’t react to it or bleed.) And you don’t necessarily have them just because you’ve seen a weird bug (even on your bed!) or spent a night in a seedy motel or because your cousin’s friend’s neighbor had bugs. Instead, look for the beetles’ distinctive brown-black, dot-like patches of fecal matter (digested blood) on your bedding, mattress, box spring, bed frame, or nearby baseboards. If your mattress isn’t already in a cover, look closely at the seams and crevices in the mattress—particularly the folds of a pillow topper. Bugs also leave cast skins that look like empty bug shells or fragments. This guide (PDF) includes helpful photos of signs of an infestation.
