IdentificationModerate risk
How Do I Know If I Have Bed Bugs?
Quick answer
Look for itchy bites in lines or clusters after sleeping, small blood smears on sheets, and tiny dark spots (droppings) along mattress seams, bed frames and headboards. Finding live apple-seed-sized reddish-brown bugs, pale shed skins or tiny white eggs confirms bed bugs. Bites alone are not proof, because reactions vary and other insects bite too.
Why this happens
Bed bugs hide close to where people sleep and feed at night. They leave droppings and skins where they shelter.
Some people do not react to bites at all, while others develop itchy welts, so the physical signs in the bed are more reliable than bites.
What you may be seeing
- Dark spotting on mattress piping, seams and bed-base corners.
- Shed skins and eggs in crevices of bed frames.
- Live bugs 4–6 mm long.
What you can do
- Strip the bed and inspect seams, tags and piping with a torch.
- Check the bed frame, headboard, bedside tables and skirting boards near the bed.
- Take clear photos of any bugs or signs for identification.
- Wash and hot-dry bedding and clothing.
What not to do
- Do not move to another room or couch; bed bugs follow and spread.
- Do not throw furniture out onto the street without sealing and labelling it; this spreads bed bugs.
When professional help may be needed
Bed bugs are one of the pests where professional treatment is usually recommended, because they hide in many small places and some populations tolerate common insecticides.
Still having trouble with bed bugs? Talk to a pest professional →
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Local information
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Sources & further reading
- NSW Health — environmental health and pest-borne disease — NSW Health
- healthdirect — bites, stings and infection information — healthdirect Australia
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