Expert Tips For Spotting a Bed Bug Infestation

Bed bugs have undoubtedly been on the rise in the United States over the last few years. In fact, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) says one in five Americans has had a bed bug infestation or knows someone who has encountered them. But, why is this pest so easy to attract and so hard to eliminate?

Bed bugs feed only on human blood, so people are the perfect “bed bug magnets,” Dr. Jorge Parada, medical spokesperson for the NPMA, told HealthDay.

Unfortunately, bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers and can conceal themselves just about anywhere. For this reason, it’s important to look for signs of an infestation such as small reddish brown fecal spots on mattresses and red, itchy bite marks on the body.

Dr. Parada added, “A bedbug bite can look like a tiny puncture wound without a surrounding reaction, and can easily be missed. Thirty percent of people living in bedbug-infested homes don't report bites or skin reactions. However, "other people have exuberant reactions, with large, red, raised and itchy welts."