Updated at: 01-03-2023 - By: Sienna Lewis

A dead bed bug is better than one that is still alive if you must discover a bed bug.

It is, however, enough to make you scream out in terror if you see them at all (and with good reason). Naturally, you’re concerned about whether or not there are any more bed bugs in the area.

What to do if you find one, and how to find out whether there are more in the same area – read on.

What Does It Mean If You Find A Dead Bed Bug?

There are two things you can do if you find a dead bed bug. If that insect wasn’t a lone saunterer, there must be more out there.

In spite of your best intentions, it is best to assume that the bed bug is not the only one. With bedbugs, it is important to be proactive rather than reactive. The best course of action is to remain vigilant at all times.

Dead Bed Bugs After Treatments: What To Do? | Terminix

What To Do If You Find A Dead Bed Bug At Home

Determine whether there are other bugs if you locate one. The reason for this is that, while one bed bug may not seem to be a major concern, if that one bug is a female, there might be many more on their way!

As many as 250 eggs might be laid by a well-fed female bed bug during her lifetime. When you consider that bedbugs only survive for about four to six months, that’s a lot. They can produce up to five eggs a day, depending on the weather.

It’s critical that you treat even one dead bed bug as a major problem due to how many eggs they can lay. One bed bug can quickly turn into a full-blown infestation if you don’t take action to stop it.

Carefully Inspect The Surrounding Area For More

A thorough examination of your home or apartment is necessary to ascertain whether you’re dealing with an out-of-control bed bug or if your deceased friend left behind a posse in your midst.

You’ll want to keep an eye out for any additional dead bugs, but you’ll also need to keep an eye out for any living ones. Dead bugs are much easier to see than live ones, as you would have guessed. To find any indications of life, you’ll need to go a little further than usual.

Check Common Hiding Places For Live Bed Bugs

Bedbugs are masters at playing hide-and-seek, and they’re particularly good at it. There is no way around it; spotting them will need constant diligence on your part.

Their name was given to them because they were known to hide in beds, which is how they got their start. Look for them in the cracks and crevices of your bed’s mattress and sheets. Mattress seams are a good place to start if you want to find them.

Check Common Hiding Places For Live Bed Bugs

Bedbugs are masters at playing hide-and-seek, and they’re particularly good at it. There is no way around it; spotting them will need constant diligence on your part.

Their name was given to them because they were known to hide in beds, which is how they got their start. Look for them in the cracks and crevices of your bed’s mattress and sheets. Mattress seams are a good place to start if you want to find them.

There are a variety of other places where bed bugs can be found in addition to these more obvious spots.

You should also check the whole of the house, not just the bedrooms. Bed bugs will congregate in areas where you spend a lot of time at home. Thinks of sofas, chairs, and rugs..

At night, they’re the most active of the pests. A few feet away from where they get their food is a safe distance for them.

At this point, it can be helpful to have a lot of light available so you don’t miss anything. Both a UV lamp and a magnifying glass come in handy. Bedbugs are most active at night, so you may have the best luck searching at this time.

What Do Dead Bed Bugs Look Like? (2023 Updated)

Check For Other Signs Of Bed Bugs

Live bed bugs may be difficult to detect due to their small size and rapid movement. It’s also possible to rely on clues in order to identify if there are any evidence of their presence.

Be on the lookout for feces along the seams of your mattress, where bed bugs like to hide. They appear as dark blotches on the surface of the skin.

Red stains on your linens are another telltale indicator of bedbug infestation. At night, you may roll on a bed bug and accidentally kill it with your body, which is common. You’ll need a torch for this one, as there are just a few areas.

Bed bugs shed their exoskeletons multiple times before they become adults, so if you’re checking over your sheets and mattress, you may spot their exoskeletons. Your magnifying lens will likely come in handy if the exoskeletons are a pale yellow color.

Finally, if you find eggs or even eggshells throughout your search, you may have bed bugs. These are going to be really little — only 1 millimeter in diameter. While bed bugs don’t actually build nests, they’re often discovered in close proximity to one another.

How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs With DIY Treatment Methods

The expense of hiring a pest control company can be prohibitive, but there are several methods you can do to get rid of bed bugs on your own.

Make sure to bag and wash your linens thoroughly and remove any unnecessary clutter from the room. Remove all piles of clothing and wash them before you begin the cleaning process.

To get rid of stray bugs and eggs, use a powerful vacuum to clear the area around the bed. It is critical to use a vacuum with a HEPA filter in order to prevent bed bugs from escaping after they have been trapped. When it comes to vacuums, the Shark Navigator Upright Vacuum checks all the boxes while still being lightweight and portable.

Clean your bed frame, headboard, and surrounding furniture using a specialized, non-toxic bed insect spray. Using Bed Bug Patrol’s Bed Bug Killer is safe for children and pets, and it has a documented 100% kill rate for live bed bugs in controlled studies.

Place a bed bug interceptor cup under each leg of your bed to prevent the spread of bed bugs. These will assist to keep bedbugs out of your bed and keep them from spreading. Interceptors can also be used to keep track of your progress. Ideally, each time you empty the interceptors, they should contain less bedbugs. These Bed Bug Blocker Interceptor Traps are my personal favorites.

You can either rescue your mattress if it hasn’t been infested yet, or keep bed bugs imprisoned in and around it until they starve to death by using a bed bug mattress protector. It’s hard to beat the SureGuard Mattress Encasement because it’s thick and sturdy, and it’ll keep bed bugs of all shapes and sizes out of your mattress and out of your home. There is also a SureGuard Box Spring Encasement.

Bed bug heaters are available to raise household objects to a temperature that will kill all bed bugs and eggs, if you want to be extra thorough. As the most popular choice, ZappBug automatically reaches the necessary lethal temperatures for the whole bed insect life cycle to be eliminated. There are both large and mini versions available.

Call An Exterminator

For more than one bed bug, it may be time to call a professional pest control service. For even a moderate infestation, you’ll need additional help if you’re not entirely dedicated to doing it yourself.

The sooner you address this issue, the better off you’ll be in the long term. Waiting till things spiral out of control is never a good idea.

What Do Live Bed Bugs Look Like?

Unlike wood ticks, bed bugs are wingless and have oval, flattened bodies. They are generally brown, but after eating blood, they can become a dark reddish-purple color. A typical adult bed bug measures between 5 mm and 9 mm in length. It’s the difference between male and female bugs that differentiates the two species.

Nymph (newly hatched) bed bugs, on the other hand, can grow to a length of 1 mm before molting. After their fifth and final molting, they can grow up to 4.5 mm in length. Before they can go on to the next stage, nymph bed bugs must feed on blood. Feeding will cause them to darken, making them appear more opaque.

Bed bugs, particularly German baby cockroaches, might be mistaken for baby roaches. This is due to the fact that they share many physical characteristics, such as their skin tone. Baby roaches, on the other hand, move faster and have longer antennas than bed bugs. The antennae of a bed insect are practically imperceptible.

Where and When Can You Find Bed Bugs?

Unlike other insects, bedbugs do not establish their own nests. As a result, they stay close to their human hosts. They enjoy skulking behind your mattress, under your headboard, and beneath the sheets. Some more obscure hiding spots include the undersides of furniture and carpet, behind wall clocks, in cabinet doors, and even in the heads of screwdrivers.

Bed bugs are busy at night since they are nocturnal insects. This is why you found the dead bed bug in the morning: they take a nap or a nap throughout the day. However, if you happen to sit on infested chairs in schools or offices during the day, you may get bed bug bites.

How Can You Tell if Bed Bugs Are Dead?

If you notice bedbugs laying on their backs, they are most likely dead. Even though they’re dead, they’ll try to turn themselves over and crawl away if they’re still conscious. If you disturb live bed bugs, they will try to flee. No matter what you do to them, dead bedbugs will no longer be able to scurry around.

What Do Bed Bugs Look Like When They’re Dead?

You should notice the bodies of dead bed bugs curled up after treating an affected area since their muscles contract as they die. A dead bed bug’s body will also begin to dry out and wrinkle with time. It could be missing limbs. In most situations, blood and excrement will also be visible.

What Do Dead Bed Bug Eggs Look Like?

When the temperature rises over 70°F (21°C), eggs hatch within 6–10 days. At temperatures below 70°F, hatching can take up to 28 days. Approximately 1 mm in length, live bed bug eggs are white ovals. Dead bed bug eggs, on the other hand, can be a variety of colors and are almost always found in groups.

Can Dead Bed Bugs Play Dead or Come Back to Life?

As of right now, there is no scientific evidence to back up the claim that bedbugs can go dormant. However, as previously noted, if you disturb them, they will make every effort to flee. On the other hand, if these pests are sleeping or resting in a secluded spot, they won’t budge. This means that bedbugs are not able to play dead.

A protective mechanism known as thanatosis is employed by some animals in order to trick their predators. A surprising number of insects are capable of feigning death. Certain species of ants, bees, wasps, and cicadas are included in this category. However, bed bugs that have expired will not be resurrected.

How Long Can Bed Bugs Survive Without Feeding?

Bedbugs live an average of 2 to 4 months under ideal conditions. But amazingly, they can survive without feeding for around 400 days in a laboratory under cool temperature. Nymph bed bugs, on the other hand, can go for weeks or even months without feeding. Their development, on the other hand, will be slowed.

What Temperature Can Kill Bed Bugs?

Generally speaking, bedbugs live for between two and four months in normal settings. Despite this, they are able to go 400 days without food in a laboratory at a low temperature. Nymph bed bugs, on the other hand, can go for weeks or even months without eating. Growth will be slowed, however.

When exposed to 113°F (45°C) consistently for 90 minutes or longer, bed bugs will die. These bothersome pests and their eggs can be eliminated by raising the temperature to 118°F (47.7°C) for around 20 minutes. You can use a steamer to get rid of bed bugs if the infestation is in its early stages.

What Should You Do if You Find a Dead Bed Bug?

When a pet is infested with live bed bugs, they may also feed on the blood from your pets (such as cats and dogs). They don’t spread disease, although the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease, can be spread by their droppings. Here are some things to do if you find a bug that has died:

  • Take care of the corpse of the bed insect. Wear gloves or use a shovel with a tiny handle to avoid the spread of bacteria.
  • Check out the area around you. Most of them will be in a group, which increases your chances of finding more.
  • Mattresses, for example, should not be disposed of since they may be infected. The vast majority of them are still treatable.
  • It is common for bed bugs to fit their bodies into the tiniest of spaces. A flashlight is necessary for this task.
  • The best time to conduct a search is during the daytime, as it is when the animals are most active.
  • Blood spots and shed skins are two of the most common indicators of the presence of bed bugs. During nymph molting, nymph bed bugs shed their skin and casings.
  • Diatomaceous earth, for example, is a harmless and natural pesticide to use (DE). Alternatively, a steamer or pot of boiling water can be used. Rub alcohol and kerosene should not be used. Both of them have a high flammability rating, making them dangerous.
  • It’s possible that you’ll need professional pest control services if the infestation has already become severe.

Is It Normal to See Dead Bed Bugs After Treatment?

After treatment, it is usual to notice dead bed bugs. However, it’s only a matter of time before this happens. If you have a thorough and repeated insecticide treatment, you may see some dead bed bugs. The intensity of the infestation and the type of pesticide utilized are the most important factors in determining the outcome.

Dead Bed Bugs In House: How To Get Rid | Pestclue

Will You Still See Bed Bugs After the First Treatment?

You will still see live bed bugs after the first treatment. If chemicals are utilized, this is a real possibility. For a severe infestation, a pest control technician will need to come out for two or three appointments to apply a chemical treatment. On the other hand, a thorough heat treatment can eliminate all bedbugs in one go.

Do You Have to Treat the Whole House for Bed Bugs?

You will still see live bed bugs after the first treatment. If chemicals are utilized, this is a real possibility. For a severe infestation, a pest control technician will need to come out for two or three appointments to apply a chemical treatment. On the other hand, a thorough heat treatment can eliminate all bedbugs in one go.

After the initial treatment, you will still observe live bed bugs. The application of chemical treatment could make this possible. Pest control professionals will typically need to come out for two or three appointments to administer a chemical treatment for a significant infestation. Proper heat treatment can, on the other hand, completely eradicate all bedbugs.

How Can I Stop the Spread of Bed Bugs?

Actually, it’s difficult to stop bedbugs from spreading. Because bed bugs don’t actually go away, it takes a lot of time, work, and a lot of patience. All of them, especially the ladies, must be eliminated. They lay between 200 and 250 eggs in their lifespan, in case you didn’t know.

Bedbugs can be repelled by several insect repellents. They may hide for the time being, but these minuscule bloodsuckers will be back as soon as they can. It is impossible for bed bugs to spread straight from one person to another. They can, however, go with you since they are skilled hitchhikers. As a result, the following are suggestions for preventing the spread of bed bugs:

  • Vacuum the entire house on a regular basis.
  • Things like clothing and other items that bed bugs might hide in should be avoided.
  • Avoid purchasing used furniture if at all possible. Bedbugs love to hide out in wood.
  • The best way to keep dust and allergens out of your bed is to cover it up.
  • Fill in any holes or gaps in the walls, baseboards, etc. using caulk or other caulking compound.
  • Bags should not be left alone on hotel beds or floors.
  • Before you leave on a trip, be sure you’ve thoroughly checked your belongings.
  • If you’re going to get rid of infected objects, make sure you destroy them so that others can’t use them.

Summary

In order to determine whether or not you have a full-blown bed bug infestation, you’ll need to rely on your investigative instincts and a little detective work.

Determine if you appear to be in the clear or whether you need to call in the pros by thoroughly inspecting your home for any other symptoms or clues of bed bug activity. The best bed bug to have in your house is a dead bed bug.