Since we’ve evolved, our sense of smell has been a keen danger sense. Be it questionable food, or a predator’s scent on the wind. Our nose keeps us out of some big messes. However, there are some things we can’t pick out from smell alone that they’re dangerous. And one of these comes from a bug! Not just any bugs, but a certain parasite that lives in your bed. That’s right, today we’ll be talking about one of the worst pests in Florida and answering the question: do bed bugs stink?
Why do bed bugs stink?
The sickly, sweet smell that bed bugs give off can vary from person to person. Do bed bugs stink? Yes. But that stink itself may smell just slightly different to you than to someone else depending on your personal olfactory nerves and the state of the bug itself.
The smell the bed bugs give off is musty and sweet usually, however. Often times it’s compared to the smell of berries. However, this isn’t like a stink bug. A single squished bed bug is never really going to be enough of a problem to produce that smell. However, if you’ve read articles I’ve written in the past, then you know there’s no such thing as just one bed bug, really. If your house has a pervasive, sickly sweet smell, especially your bedroom, there’s a chance that you’re dealing with an infestation.
Bed bugs release these pheromones when they’re in danger. This smell can alert other bugs and can be quite similar to a pile of clothes that were left in the washing machine for a few days. It has also been described as similar to a pair of moldy old shoes. It has even been found that this smell was considered pleasant by many people in low concentrations!
Other Infestation Signs
However, the smell is not the point you want to let it get to find out if you have a bed bug infestation. So instead of asking do bed bugs stink, let’s go over some more proactive methods of detection.
Bed bugs are night time feeders and tend to cause restlessness and lack of sleep with their infestation. They nibble on you when you fall asleep, and inject you with a mild anesthetic so that they’re not caught during the act. When that anesthetic fades, however, the bite is often very uncomfortable. They can raise up and cause a lot of itching, and even may break out in a rash.
Because of these bites, a good early warning method is to look for blood stains on your sheets and pillowcases. Also, bed bugs tend to feed in a line- so if you have a strange organization to the inflected bites, then there’s a good chance you’ve got these pests!
However, another sign to look out for is actually what the blood looks like when they’re done with it! Dark and rusty spots, to be exact. Bedbugs poop as they go, leaving this digested blood stain as they walk. Look for them on sheets and mattresses, bed skirting, and walls.
Also if you notice masses of fecal spots, eggshells, and shed skins, there’s a good chance that you’ve found where the bed bugs are hiding.
Where to look?
Bed bugs tend to enter your home by hitchhiking on infested material. And there are two primary ways that material infested with bed bugs enters the home. The first is obvious, and that’s on luggage and clothes you wore on vacation. Being an indoor pest, bed bugs aren’t something like a tick that you can pick up outside walking around in a field. Instead, you probably got these hitchhikers somewhere during your vacation. For example, maybe they crawled into your suitcase while it was in your hotel room. Or, a handful of them clung to some dirty pants that you brought into the home.
The second method bed bugs enter the home is usually through second-hand furniture. Old couches, beds, electronics, and wooden furniture are all possibilities. If you buy second hand items, make sure to inspect them thoroughly before bringing them into your home. And if you see an old couch on the side of the road, consider simply leaving it there. It probably got tossed for a reason!
But when they’re not actively biting you, bed bugs are hiding away and reproducing. And unfortunately, anywhere that can provide them shelter is game. Check your mattress to start with, especially anywhere the stitching meets and if you have a hole in it, check there too. However, heavily infested homes may take a bit more work. Check places like your headboard, bedframe, and carpets. Places where the carpet meets the wall and there’s a gap are a favorite hiding spot of bed bugs that have been pressured out from the bed itself. Electrical outlets are also a good possibility for their breeding grounds.
These bugs can flatten themselves to the width of a credit card. Unfortunately, that means that they can squeeze into most places in your home. Once a heavy infestation is established, they can be anywhere.
Do Bed Bugs Stink: What to do if infested?
Treating for bed bugs is a complex and difficult thing to do. And that’s if you are a pest control specialist. If you’re not? Well, I wouldn’t suggest tackling this one on your own. If the infestation has been growing without your notice for long enough, then you may already be dealing with thousands of parasitic pests in your home.
And the amount of clutter you have, the state of your neighbor’s homes, and whether or not everyone in the building will be willing to participate in getting rid of the bugs are all going to factor in the success of any control attempts.
At that point, instead of going it alone and risking the infestation getting worse or possibly infesting your neighbors, call us at 1-800-634-1313 or visit our website to get help from a licensed professional with years of experience.
