Finding bed bugs during the day is all about looking for their hiding spots. Since they’re active at night, they usually tuck themselves away in a dark, quiet crevice to sleep during the day. It may help to strip your bed and turn your mattress on its side. That way, you can check all of the seams and underneath the mattress, too.

Look around your baseboards and behind curtains, too.

Bed bugs typically like to stay within 8 ft (2. 4 m) of their food source (wherever the humans sleep).

If you’re able to keep the bed bug in one place for a few minutes, pointing a hair dryer on high heat at it will actually kill a bed bug.

These traps work well to get rid of small infestations, but won’t work if your entire home is infected. However, they’re a great tool for identifying bed bugs and affirming that you do have a bed bug problem.

Identify bed bug droppings by looking for small stains, no bigger than the tip of a pen.

Usually, eggs and exoskeletons will be congregated around where the bed bugs spend the most time, like on your mattress or in a crack in the wall.

It’s not common, but animals can get bites, too. If you have any furry friends in your home, check their skin for bed bug bites as well. [9] X Research source

Bed bugs will release more pheromones when they’re threatened, so don’t be surprised if the smell gets stronger when you find the bed bugs.

If you can’t wash items of clothing or bedding, seal them in a plastic bag and freeze them under 32 °F (0 °C) for at least 4 days.

To avoid bringing bed bugs home with you, inspect any furniture you buy very carefully. Used furniture is more likely to have bed bugs than brand new items.

Bed bugs are crafty, and leaving them inside your vacuum won’t kill them. Instead, they’ll just crawl out of the vacuum and back into your home.

You can also use a steam cleaner on soft items like curtains or tapestries. One steaming session may not be enough to get rid of all the bed bugs. Try 2 to 3 steam sessions over a week-long period to kill all of the bugs.

If you still aren’t sure whether or not you have bed bugs, hire a canine inspection. Dogs can be trained to sniff out bed bugs and give an accurate reading of where they are in the home. If you rent your home, contact your landlord or your property manager as soon as you notice signs of bed bugs. They will likely want to hire an extermination service right away.