Bedbugs (Cimex lectularius) have a long and close history with humankind. Apart from being a pest for thousands of years, they have made cultural appearances in popular literature (Orwell’s semi-autobiographical Down and Out in London and Paris), the oft macabre genre
of children’s lullabies (don’t let the bed bugs bite!), as well as pop culture (Jack Doneghy’s (played by Alec Baldwin) infestation on the television show 30 Rock being perhaps the most recent).
As for the pest, adult bed bugs are reddish brown and grow to 4–5 mm in length and 1.5-3 mm wide. Nymphs are much smaller and white (or translucent) until their first blood meal. They tend to harbor (but are certainly not limited to) small cracks and crevices in and on the mattress, box spring, bed frame (especially behind the headboard), and in cracks and crevices or under other small items near the bed. That being said, bed bugs can harbor in curtain rods, electrical equipment (clocks, phones, computers, etc), board game boxes, stuffed animal, inside the walls, and everywhere in between.
Visual signs of a bedbug infestation can include blood spotting on sheets, dark stains from fecal matter in areas where the bugs harbor, as well as eggs and adult bedbugs being noted.
Image ourtesy of Bed Bug Central
If you have found signs of an infestation you should have an inspection performed by a NESDCA certified bedbug detecting canine or a pest management professional. If you find a bug in your bed, carefully place it in a container (glass or plastic) so it can be inspected by a professional. Remember, the better condition the bug is left in, the easier it is for a professional to identify it!
Being that bedbug infestations are difficult to control, it is recommended you hire a professional instead of trying to do it yourself. Many times homeowners will make the infestation more difficult to eliminate because they have treated with store bought chemicals (or old pesticides left in the garage) which cause the bedbugs to spread throughout the home instead of congregate in their normal harborages.
Get a professional inspection to assess whether you have bedbugs or not, and if you do, hire a pest management company who has experience and success in eliminating bedbugs to do the job for you!