A bed bug infestation is never pleasant to deal with, and they often get out of hand before you've even had the chance to notice.
The tiny insects are difficult to spot, making it hard to stop them from breeding and taking over your mattress. But unfortunately they're highly common in the UK, according to experts at Bed Kingdom.
To help people identify when they might have a problem, the specialists have outlined a couple of the key warning signs that you might not even think could signal a bed bug infestation.
Here are seven of the top red flag signs, as reported by the Express.
Strange smells
If you've noticed an unusual musty smell in your bedroom, it could be a sign of the bugs.
The experts said: "When bed bugs feel threatened, they emit what is called alarm pheromones which have a faint smell of raspberries, cilantro, or almonds – and in severe bed bug cases, this smell we be mixed with the odour of dead bugs and shed cell casings which creates a rusty scent."
Bites
One of the most unpleasant things about bed bugs is the bites they can leave on your skin.
The experts said: “If you wake up with red, itchy bites, this could be a sign of bed bugs, as they typically feed on blood during the night.
“Usually, bites will appear on arms, hands, and legs and will be in small clusters of a few bites, but they can also show up in single bites.”
Blood stains
After the bugs have bitten you, there's a chance you could start seeing blood on your sheets if you squash them during the night.
"If you notice any small splotches of blood on your bed sheets or clothing… [and] there’s no visible cause of the blood, it’s likely that these stains occurred from bed bugs," the experts said.
Dark brown marks
As well as leaving blood stains, the bugs can leave droppings that are tiny and dark brown in colour.
You might come across these on your sheets, headboard, or walls, and they can sometimes omit a dark and musty smell.
Eggs
The experts said: "Bed bug eggs can be hard to spot, as they are only around one millimetre long – but they can be found by paying attention to anything that looks like small rice grains in your bed.
"They can be loosely stuck to different types of surfaces, typically the mattress seams and joints or behind the headboard."
Shell casings
Bed bugs can shed many times throughout their lifespan, leaving pieces of shell behind.
"You can spot them by their yellow, translucent appearance in the seams, folds, and crevices of mattresses, or even other areas such as cracks in walls and furniture," the experts said.
Live bed bugs
One of the harder-to-spot signs, live bed bugs enjoy hiding so they can be difficult to notice.
But if the infestation is bad enough, you're more likely to catch a glimpse of them.
“Adult bed bugs are approximately four to five millimetres long, with bed bug nymphs starting at just one millimetre,” the experts added.
If you discover a “severe infestation” of the nasty pests, you should contact the council or pest control service to get rid of them.
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