Bed bugs are small, flat insects that feed on people at night and hide in bedding and furniture during the day. They spread when infested items move between rooms or homes. If you've found marks on your sheets or woken with bites you can't explain, this checklist for Greenacre and Kingsgrove homes shows what to look for and where to look first.
Where to check first Start with the places closest to where people sleep and rest:
- Mattress seams, piping and corners
- Headboard, including behind it and along the joints
- Bed frame joints and any crevices
- Skirting boards and bedside furniture near the bed
- Luggage and bags kept in bedrooms If you find signs, work through the full checklist below.
Common bed bug warning signs
1) Small dark spots near sleeping areas
Look for tiny dots that resemble ink marks or soot. Some are droppings and some are blood stains from crushed bugs. Check: - mattress piping and seams
- sheet corners
- the gap where the bed meets the wall
2) Shed skins and egg casings
Bed bugs shed their skins as they grow, so you may find: - pale, translucent skins the same shape as the bug
- tiny pale eggs or shell-like casings, about the size of a pinhead
- fine, paper-like fragments in folds and stitching Check seams, folds and stitching, behind headboard fixtures, and inside cracks in bed frames.
3) Live bed bugs
Adult bed bugs are flat, reddish-brown and roughly the size of an apple seed. Young bugs are smaller and paler. They move slowly when disturbed. Common hiding spots are mattress seams and tags, behind picture frames near beds, and inside the seams of upholstered furniture.
4) A musty odour in a bedroom
Some people notice a faint musty smell in a heavily infested room. Not everyone can smell it, and a smell alone doesn't confirm bed bugs. Treat it as a reason to inspect.
5) Itchy bites
Bite patterns vary from person to person, and fleas, mosquitoes and other insects leave similar marks. Use bites as a prompt to inspect, not as proof. If you also have pets and suspect fleas, read our guide to flea control basics for pet owners, or see our flea control service.
How to inspect a
Greenacre or Kingsgrove home A torch and a stiff card (to run along seams) are enough for a first inspection.
Bedroom
- Strip the bed and put the linen straight into a sealed bag.
- Check the mattress seams, piping and tag areas.
- Check the bed frame joints, especially corners and where wood meets metal.
- Look behind the headboard and around any wall fixings.
- Inspect bedside tables, including drawers, runners and the underside.
Walls, floors and nearby furniture
- Scan the skirting boards along the wall next to the bed.
- Check curtain folds near the sleeping area.
- Inspect upholstered chairs or couches where anyone sits or sleeps.
- Look behind lamps, power outlets and switch plates.
Recent arrivals
Bed bugs travel on luggage, bags and second-hand furniture. Check luggage seams and straps, bags stored in bedrooms, and clothing left on chairs or near the bed. Keep items in the room where you inspect them rather than carrying them through the house.
Signs the problem is established
The problem is likely more than a stray bug if: - you find more than one type of sign, such as dark spots and shed skins together
- signs appear in more than one room
- bites continue over several nights
- you recently brought in second-hand furniture or stayed somewhere with a known problem
- you've had overnight guests and signs appeared afterwards
What not to do
- Don't drag a suspect mattress or chair through the house without wrapping it first.
- Don't shake bedding. It can scatter bugs and eggs.
- Don't leave bags and clothing open and spread across rooms.
- Don't assume no bites means no bed bugs. Not everyone reacts to bites.
- Don't spray until you know where the bugs are. Spraying blindly can push them into other rooms.
What you can do today
- Bag the linen you removed and wash it hot, then dry it on high heat if the fabric allows.
- Keep items from the affected room in that room.
- Hold off moving luggage and bags between rooms until you've inspected.
- Vacuum around the bed edges and nearby floors. Empty the vacuum into a sealed bag straight away and put it in an outside bin.
When to call
BanksTown Pest Control Pro Call if you've found clear evidence, such as live bugs, shed skins or repeated dark spots, rather than a single bite. BanksTown Pest Control Pro covers bed bug control in Greenacre and bed bug control in Kingsgrove, and the full service is described on our bed bug control page. You can reach us through the contact page. Before you call, have these ready: - photos of any signs you've found
- when the bites or signs started
- which rooms and items seem affected
- any recent travel, guests or furniture that might explain how they got in