Bed Bug Checker: Find the Signs of Bed Bugs
Use this bed bug checker to inspect a hotel room, a rental or your own home for the signs of bed bugs. Mark what you find at each step to get an evidence score, a summary of your findings and next steps based on EPA guidance.
A bed bug checker is a guided inspection list for finding the physical signs of bed bugs: live insects, rusty stains, dark spots, eggs and shed skins. Work through the 10-point hotel check or the 12-point home check, mark what you find, and the tool scores the evidence and suggests next steps drawn from EPA guidance.
How the Bed Bug Checker Scores What You Find
Each place where you mark “Yes, found” adds points: 3 for most spots, 4 or 5 for the mattress seams, box spring, headboard, sofas and the smell check, and 10 for the area under a hotel mattress. The score is a tally of evidence, not a probability, and the points are this tool’s own weighting. Items marked “Not checked” are left out, and the result always says how many places you actually inspected. If you record no checks, the tool reports “Not assessed” instead of an all-clear.
| Score | Level shown | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No signs found | Nothing found in the places you checked |
| 1–4 | Caution | One minor sign: look for a second one before drawing conclusions |
| 5–9 | Moderate risk | Signs in more than one place, or at the mattress or headboard |
| 10 or more | High risk | Several signs, or live bugs under the mattress |
Worked example (hotel check): dark spots on the sheets (3 points) plus a sign behind the headboard (5 points) gives a score of 8, shown as Moderate risk with 2 findings.
Signs of Bed Bugs: What to Look For
The EPA says the most accurate way to identify a possible infestation is to look for physical signs, and that other insects such as carpet beetles are easily mistaken for bed bugs.
| Sign | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Live adult bed bugs | About the size of an apple seed, 5–7 mm (3/16–1/4 inch). Flat, oval and brown when unfed; swollen, reddish-brown and longer after feeding (EPA) |
| Nymphs (young bugs) | Smaller, translucent or whitish-yellow, and nearly invisible if they have not fed recently |
| Eggs and eggshells | About 1 mm, the size of a pinhead, and pearl-white |
| Shed skins | Pale yellow skins that nymphs leave behind as they grow |
| Dark spots | Excrement about the size of a dot (•) that may bleed into fabric like a marker |
| Rusty or reddish stains | Marks on sheets or mattresses where bugs were crushed |
| Odor | A musty, sweetish smell |
| Bites | Not a reliable sign. The EPA calls bites “a poor indicator” because they look like other insect bites or rashes and some people do not react at all; the CDC says marks can take as long as 14 days to appear |
Where Bed Bugs Hide
The CDC says bed bugs tend to live within 8 feet of where people sleep. Around the bed, the EPA lists the piping, seams and tags of the mattress and box spring, and cracks in the bed frame and headboard. In a heavily infested room they are also found in the seams of chairs and couches, between cushions, in curtain folds, in drawer joints, in electrical receptacles, under loose wallpaper and wall hangings, and even in the head of a screw. The EPA’s rule of thumb: if a crack will hold a credit card, it could hide a bed bug.
What Bed Bug Treatment Involves and When to Call a Professional
This tool checks for signs; it does not treat anything. The EPA describes treatment as complex, taking weeks to months, and built from several steps rather than one product:
- Confirm the pest. Collect a sample: an extension agent can identify it at no cost. A single bed bug is not an infestation.
- Contain it. Seal infested items in plastic bags, fit covers that seal the mattress and box spring, and vacuum, then seal the vacuum bag and put it in an outdoor bin straight away.
- Kill with heat. Put bedding and clothing in a dryer on high heat for 30 minutes; the EPA notes that washing alone will generally not kill bed bugs. Larger items and rooms need at least 120°F (about 49°C) for 90 minutes, which takes special equipment. Do not try to heat a room with a thermostat or space heater.
- Use pesticides only as one part of the plan, follow the label, and never use rubbing alcohol, kerosene or gasoline.
- Monitor. Use interceptors under bed legs and keep checking for at least a year.
When to call a professional: the CDC says that if you think you have an infestation, you should contact a pest control company experienced with bed bugs. The EPA adds that an experienced professional can increase your chance of success, and advises asking for an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. If you rent, tell your landlord as well: the EPA says the units near yours should be inspected.
Preventing Bed Bugs When You Travel and at Home
Bed bugs are hitchhikers: the EPA says they move on furniture, bedding, luggage, boxes and clothing. In a hotel, inspect the luggage rack and the bed before you unpack. Back home, put travel clothes in a dryer on high heat. Check second-hand furniture, beds and couches for signs before bringing them indoors, reduce clutter, and vacuum often. In a multi-family building, door sweeps and sealed cracks around baseboards and light sockets discourage bugs from moving between units. Not sure whether a bite came from a bed bug? Compare with the Bed Bug vs Mosquito Bites guide.
Last updated: October 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What do bed bugs look like?
The EPA describes adult bed bugs as about the size of an apple seed, 5 to 7 mm long, with a flat, oval, brown body when unfed. After feeding they are swollen, reddish-brown and more elongated. Young bed bugs are smaller and translucent or whitish-yellow, and the eggs are pearl-white and about the size of a pinhead.
Can you see bed bugs with the naked eye?
Yes. Adults are 5 to 7 mm long and easy to see. Nymphs are smaller, and the EPA notes that an unfed nymph can be nearly invisible because of its size and pale color. Eggs are about 1 mm. A flashlight helps, and dark spots, stains and shed skins are often easier to find than the bugs themselves.
What are the first signs of bed bugs?
The EPA lists four physical signs: rusty or reddish stains on sheets or mattresses, dark spots of excrement that may bleed into fabric like a marker, eggs, eggshells and pale yellow shed skins, and live bed bugs. Check the seams, piping and tags of the mattress and box spring and the cracks of the bed frame and headboard first.
Are bites a reliable sign of bed bugs?
No. The EPA says bites on the skin are a poor indicator of a bed bug infestation, because they can look like bites from other insects, rashes or hives, and some people do not react at all. The CDC adds that bite marks can take as long as 14 days to appear. Look for the physical signs instead.
How do bed bugs spread from place to place?
Bed bugs hitchhike. The EPA says they move from an infested site to a new home on furniture, bedding, luggage, boxes and clothing, and the CDC says they get into the seams and folds of luggage, overnight bags and folded clothes. They do not fly. In multi-family buildings they can also move between units through wall voids.
Do bed bugs carry diseases?
According to the CDC, bed bugs are not known to spread diseases to people. The CDC notes that bites look similar to mosquito or flea bites, and that some people show no physical signs of being bitten at all.
What does bed bug treatment involve?
The EPA describes it as a multi-step process that can take weeks to months: confirm the pest, bag infested items and encase the mattress, kill bugs with heat such as 30 minutes in a dryer on high, use pesticides only as one part of the plan, and keep monitoring for at least a year. It says a professional can increase the chance of success. This tool only checks for signs.
Can bed bugs survive in a washing machine?
They can. The EPA says just washing will generally not kill bed bugs; the heat of the dryer does. Put bedding and clothing in a dryer at high temperature for 30 minutes. Items that cannot go in a dryer need another heat or cold treatment.