How to Check for Bed Bugs

Inspect the edges of the mattress and box spring for signs of bed bugs. Use a flashlight to illuminate your view. Carefully remove flat sheet and pillows from the bed. Inspect the sheets and pillows as you remove them. You will not usually find bed bugs in the sheets and pillows. Remove the pillow cases as you inspect them.

Next, carefully remove the fitted sheet from the corners of the mattress. One corner at a time. Check the seams of the mattress at the corners for signs of bed bugs. Lift the mattress and check the underside seams. Be careful when lifting the mattress as some can be quite heavy. Please get help when lifting heavy mattresses.

If you have not found bed bugs on the mattress edges or seams then you need to check the box spring. Set the mattress aside. Be careful that the mattress does not knock anything over. Be sure that the mattress is not leaning against a lamp that could cause a fire. Be sure that the mattress is leaning against a wall or other stable object so that it does not fall. Ask someone to help you make sure that the mattress does not fall over or on top of you.

Next, inspect all sides of the box spring with your flashlight. Pay careful attention to the corners of the box spring. Often times there is a plastic piece stapled around the corner of the box spring to protect it. You must pry back or remove these plastic pieces to thoroughly inspect for bed bugs. On the bottom of the box spring you will often find a fabric dust cover. The fabric dust cover is typically stapled all around the bottom edge of the box spring, concealing the wood framing within. At this point, do not remove the dust cover. Peel back and inspect the very edge of the dust cover all around the bottom of the box spring. If bed bugs are hiding in the box spring they will oftentimes defecate (poop) near the entrance of their hiding place. You may find a single, shiny, black, drop of fresh feces. You may find a lot of black, flat, round, oval, or smeared feces spotting an area. You may find the bugs themselves in these areas. The box spring usually much easier to handle than the mattress. A standard box spring is lighter and more rigid than the mattress.

If you did not find any bed bugs on the mattress or box spring, then it is time to check the headboard and bed frame. If you do not have a head board or a bed frame, then please proceed to the next tab. A lot of times bed bugs are found on the headboard or bed frame even if there is no sign of them on the mattress or box spring.

Wooden Headboards With Legs

Wooden headboards with legs are usually attached at the bottom to metal or wood rails that hold up the mattress. This attachment point is a very common area to find bed bugs. The bed bugs are so flat-bodied that they can squeeze between the joints of wood. They especially like to hide in the screw holes. Shine your flashlight into the screw holes. Sometimes the screw holes are filled with bed bugs. Many bed bugs can fit into one screw hole. If you do not find bed bugs at the bottom of the legs or in the screw holes, then check the back of the headboard. You will need to detach the legs from the bed frame or move the entire bed frame away from the wall to do this.

Wall Mounted Wooden Headboards

Wall mounted wooden head boards have no legs and are not connected to the bed frame. These type of headboards are found in hotels and motels. They are also found in homes. Check the front of the headboard before removing it from the wall. Most often there is a design on the front of the headboard. There are usually recessed areas and cracks. Check all of the cracks. Remove the headboard from the wall by lifting the headboard straight up. The wall mounted headboard is usually hanging on a wall mounted cleat. You may need to ask for help to lift the headboard off of the wall cleat. Check the back of the headboard at all of the cracks and joints of the wood. If you did not find any bed bugs on the headboard, then inspect the wall cleat. Usually the bed bugs are hiding in or around the wall cleat behind wall mounted headboards.

Fabric Headboards

Fabric headboards have become quite popular with newer bed purchases. They are found in homes and some hotels. Sometimes they are wall mounted and other times they have legs that attach to the bed frame. The fabric headboards are a wooden headboard that is covered with fabric. The fabric head boards often have sewn on buttons creating a pattern on the front of the headboard. Check under each sewn on button for bed bugs. Sometimes there are nail heads along the edges of a fabric. Check every seam of the fabric headboard for signs of bed bugs. It is important to check the back of the fabric headboard as well.

Wood Slats Instead of Box Spring

Many of the modern beds do not require a box spring. The mattress lays directly on the bed frame. These bed frames usually have wooden slats that lay between the bed rails to support the mattress. Inspect both ends of each slat. Most often the slats are screwed to the bed rails. Check every screw hole in the slats and bed rails with a flashlight. You may be surprised at what you find. Check the sides of the slats where they touch the bed rails. Bed bugs can squeeze in between the slats and the bed rails.

Metal Bed Frame

Adjustable Bases