Signs of Bed Bugs: How to Inspect Your Bed, Room and Hotel

Bed bugs are good at hiding. They are small, flat and active mostly at night, so many people only suspect them after waking up with itchy bites. The good news is that they leave evidence behind, and a careful search with a flashlight usually turns it up. This guide shows you what to look for, where to look and what to do once you find something. For identification and treatment basics, start with the main bed bugs guide.

What bed bug signs look like

Fecal spots and shed skins tend to collect where bugs gather, so a cluster of dark dots along a seam is a strong clue even if you do not see a live bug.

Why bites cannot confirm bed bugs

Bites are what send most people looking, but they are a poor way to tell whether you have bed bugs.

• Reactions can show up within a day, or days to two weeks later, so it is hard to know when or where you were bitten.
• Many people never react at all, even when bitten repeatedly.
• Bed bug bites look like mosquito, flea or chigger bites, and other skin conditions such as hives or eczema can look similar.

Bites in a row on skin exposed during sleep are suggestive, but you still need physical evidence. Flea bites tend to cluster around the ankles; see our flea guide if you have pets.

Where bed bugs hide

Most bed bugs stay within a few feet of where people sleep or rest. They prefer wood, paper and fabric over metal and plastic, and any crack that could hold a credit card can hold a bed bug.

• Mattress: piping, seams, tufts, folds and under tags.
• Box spring: seams, the fabric underside and the wood frame inside. Box springs are harder to inspect than mattresses, so take your time.
• Bed frame and headboard: joints, screw holes, cracks and the back of the headboard, a common hiding spot in hotels.
• Nightstands and dressers: drawer joints, undersides and the backs.
• Upholstered furniture: seams, between cushions and underneath, especially sofas and recliners used for sleeping.
• Walls and floors: baseboards, carpet edges, behind outlet covers and switch plates, behind picture frames and loose wallpaper, and where walls meet the ceiling in heavy infestations.
• Clutter: piles of clothes, books and papers near the bed.

How to inspect for bed bugs, step by step

Set aside time: a thorough search can take a few hours. You need a bright flashlight, a thin stiff card (an old credit card or a playing card works), a magnifying glass or phone camera, clear tape or a zipper bag, and gloves if you like.

1. Strip the bed. Pull off sheets and blankets slowly and look at them over a light surface. Bag them for the dryer afterward.
2. Check the mattress. Shine the flashlight along every seam, tuft and tag on the top, sides and bottom. Slide the card along seams to push bugs and eggs out of the folds.
3. Check the box spring. Stand it on edge if you can. Look at the seams and the corners, and look through the fabric on the underside at the wooden frame.
4. Check the bed frame and headboard. Look into joints, screw holes and cracks. If the headboard is wall-mounted, look behind it.
5. Check furniture near the bed. Empty nightstand drawers and look in the joints and underneath. Check chairs and sofas, especially seams and under cushions.
6. Check walls and floors. Run the flashlight along baseboards and carpet edges, and look behind picture frames and wall hangings.
7. Record what you find. Photograph any bugs, spots or skins, and note the location.

If you find nothing but still suspect bed bugs, repeat the search in a week and set out interceptors.

Use interceptor traps to monitor

Interceptors are dish-shaped cups that go under each bed leg. Bugs climbing up the leg fall into the outer ring and cannot climb out. They often catch bugs that a visual search misses, which makes them one of the best ways to catch an infestation early and to check whether treatment worked.

To get the most from them:

• Pull the bed a few inches away from the wall.
• Keep sheets, blankets and bed skirts off the floor.
• Do not store things under the bed.
• Check the cups at least weekly and keep them clean.

Find bed bugs early. A small infestation is much easier to treat than one that has spread to other rooms or neighboring units. Check your bed whenever you change the sheets.

Check a hotel room in five minutes

Bed bugs turn up in hotels of every price range, because guests carry them in. Before you unpack:

1. Keep your bags off the bed and floor until you have checked.
2. Pull back the sheets at the head of the bed. Shine your phone light along the mattress seams and corners, especially near the pillows.
3. Look at the headboard edges and the luggage rack.
4. Use the luggage rack and keep your suitcase zipped.
5. If you see signs, ask for a room in a different part of the hotel.

When you get home, inspect your luggage and put clothes in a hot dryer.

What to do if you find a bed bug

1. Bag a sample. Pick it up with clear tape or put it in a zipper bag. A local cooperative extension office or a pest control professional can confirm the identification. Several look-alikes, such as bat bugs and carpet beetle larvae, are common.
2. Do not move furniture or belongings to other rooms. Bugs ride along and start new infestations. Leave the bed where it is.
3. Do not use a bug bomb. Foggers do not reach where bed bugs hide.
4. Bag bedding and clothing in sealed plastic bags and run them through a hot dryer.
5. Tell your landlord if you rent. Neighboring units may need inspection too.
6. Plan treatment. Read our guide to bed bug treatment options to compare heat, encasements, insecticides and professional services.

Bed bug sign questions

I found black spots but no bugs. Is it bed bugs? It could be. Wet a cotton swab and wipe a spot. Bed bug droppings smear like ink. Then look closely nearby for shed skins or eggs, and set out interceptors.

Can bed bugs live in electrical outlets? In heavy infestations, they can hide behind outlet covers and switch plates. They prefer to stay close to the bed, so start there.

Do bed bugs only come out at night? Mostly, but hungry bed bugs will feed in daylight, and they can travel 5 to 20 feet from their hiding spots to reach you.