People will sometimes tell you to "sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite," and that may be some very good advice. Bed bugs are exactly what their name says; they are, bugs that live in your bed. They can also live in other parts of your bedroom such as behind the baseboards or under the rug. There are ways to tell if you are dealing with bed bugs, or some other nighttime parasite.

The Bites

Bed bugs feed on human blood, so that is why they bite you. Bed bug bites do not necessarily follow any pattern, and they are round bite areas that are red from irritation. According to Bedbugsguide.com it can take a few minutes before you actually feel the bite. Bed bugs will leave small red stains on your sheets and pillow cases from feeding. In some cases you may roll over on a bed bug while it is feeding and crush it on your bed. Night time bites could be spiders or fleas as well, but if you are waking up each morning with a series of new bites then that may be an indication of the pattern feeding of bed bugs.

Waste

Bed bugs are not known for their hygiene as another good indicator that you may have a bed bug infestation is waste on the sheets. Some of the waste that bed bugs leave behind may be small black particles of feces, dead skin that they have shed or bed bug eggs. According to Bedbugcentral,com bed bugs will leave piles of waste anywhere on top of the mattress, inside the mattress or under the bed as they go through their nighttime activities. If you are finding small black fecal remains and piles of brown skin on or around your bed then you may have bed bugs.

Get Professional Help

If these conditions sound familiar to you then you will want to get professional exterminating help immediately. You can try to find where the bed bugs are hiding, but they are very good at keeping themselves sheltered during the day. They could be hiding in any of the cracks or openings in your bedroom, and it is difficult to tell how bad the infestation is until you find them. According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, bed bugs do not spread disease so you will not need to see a doctor for your bites.

Source:

NY Times - Everything You Need to Know About Bed Bugs but were Afraid to Ask

BedBugCentral.com - Bed Bug 101

BedBugsGuide.com - How do I know I have Bed Bugs?