How to ID Bed Bugs in a Mattress

Where do bed bugs hide?

Bed bugs like to live in protected, small locations where they can aggregate together and not be readily noticed. Bed bugs are typically found hiding in cracks and crevices in bedrooms, and mattress covers are no exception. Infested mattresses, comforters, cushioned furniture and mattress covers may show bed bug fecal smears, which are the dried excrement of bed bugs.

Maturing bed bug nymphs molt or shed their skins during their development; these skins can sometimes be found in or around infested materials. In addition, bed bugs themselves are often visible if the source is examined closely enough. The seams of mattresses and mattress covers, especially on the underside, make great bed bug hiding places.

In addition, mattresses, mattress covers and other parts of the bed are very close to where people spend much of their time, so
feeding bed bugs do not need to expend very much energy to find a suitable blood meal and their host location stimuli such as body heat and carbon dioxide are relatively easy to focus on.

Do DIY bed bug treatments work?

Over-the-counter sprays prove largely ineffective in treating bed bug infestations. Vacuuming and laundering at high temperatures provides short-term relief, but if there are bed bugs on a mattress cover, it is likely that bed bugs and their eggs are also present within the mattress, sheets and elsewhere within a home. If you suspect a bed bug infestation, contact your local pest control management professional for an evaluation.

Mattress Encasement for Bed Bugs

Mattress encasements offer several key benefits in the fight against bed bugs These completely enclose the mattress and box spring to create a barrier that prevents bed bugs from accessing the interior of the mattress. Even if bed bugs are present, they become trapped inside the encasement, making it easier to identify and treat the infestation before it spreads. Then you can clean and treat the bed frame and along the baseboard.

For more information about bed bug-proof mattress covers and assistance with bed bug control, please call your
local Orkin branch.

Bed Bug Control

How to identify bed bugs?

Learn what bed bugs look like, and how to detect if you have a bed bug Infestation.

How do you get bed bugs?

Find out how bed bugs infiltrate your home and where they are attracted to.

How serious are bed bugs?

Learn about bed bug bites, their feces and how they can impact your health.

What Orkin does

Learn how Orkin handles bed bugs, homeopathic cures and the cost of bed bug extermination services.