Bed bugs are such a nightmare to deal with that it isn’t unusual for a homeowner to say they’d rather move than deal with another outbreak. These nasty bugs live on blood and you can find them in mattress seams, sheets, and furniture, as well as hiding behind picture frames and electrical outlets. An adult bed bug resembles an apple seed in both shape and size, but your initial discovery may be the sight of their skin, which they shed as they grow. You may also see brown or black stains around where they nest. If you notice bites on the skin but aren’t sure where they came from, start looking for bed bugs, just in case.

Bed bugs are nocturnal and can go unnoticed for weeks. The most obvious sign of a problem is waking up with clusters or lines of itchy bites, typically on arms, shoulders, or legs. Other signs include blood spots on sheets, molted skins, and a sweet, musty odor in heavily infested areas. Because they don’t build nests and prefer to stay hidden during the day, identifying a bed bug problem early can be difficult without a trained eye.