What Does Bed Bug Poop Look Like?

If you wake up in the morning with redness on your skin, mosquito bites would be a relieving thought. Bed bugs, on the other hand, are a serious concern. Calling for an expert diagnosis would tempt many of us.

Luckily, bed bugs leave several traces, including human blood and droppings. Bed bug excrement is easier to spot than the bed bug itself because of its darker colour.

So, what does bed bug poop look like?
In this article, we’ll discuss the signs of bed bug droppings so that you can identify them before issuing a false alarm.

Bed bug poop can be mistaken for ink or blood spots. Here are some characteristics that can help you spot it:

• Luckily, bed bug poop on the mattress won’t give a foul smell. You might even need help locating the droppings with your nose. Bed bugs have a more recognizable odour than their droppings. Still, you might be able to notice the rusty smell of their droppings, which comes from the blood component.
• Bed bugs produce black or dark brown droppings but not pure red. That is because the poop contains digested blood so that it won’t hold the original red colour. Red spots, however, can still be signs of a bed bug infestation. They’re likely traces of your blood that the bed bug left behind.
• Bed bug faecal stains are almost one millimetre, about the size of a ballpoint. Although they’re smaller than the bug, they’re easier to see because of their colour and grouping pattern. You can rarely find isolated stains. Instead, it’s more likely that you’ll find clusters of droppings near the daytime camp of the bed bugs.
• If left on a non-absorbent surface, like a mattress protector, bed bug droppings should retain their circular shape. Otherwise, they’ll likely soak in wood panels or bed sheets. As a general rule, bed bug poop is water-soluble. So, you can expect them to smear on wet surfaces. If it’s still moist, it’ll have a muddy consistency.

Now that you know what you’re looking for, it’s time to start your search. If you suspect a bed bug infestation, you need to inspect all susceptible areas around the house.

Here’s a list of those areas you need to check:

• Your mattress is where you need to look first. You’re more likely to find bed bugs around the corners of the mattress and tight seams. You can expect to find other clues such as shed skin or bed bugs.
• Since they’re closely associated with the mattress, bed bugs can likely be inside pillows. Again, check around the seams and any dark folded areas.
• It’s common to find bed bug stains on wooden bed frames. Look behind the headboard and the dark corners. We recommend you use a torch or your phone’s flashlight to look deep into the holes.
• It’s unlikely that bed bugs would harbour far from their feast. However, in case of severe bed bug infestations, the bugs can spread to almost any corner. Check carpets, furniture upholstery, and curtains for stains.
• Although you might save a few hundred dollars on used furniture, infected pieces can spread the bugs around your home. So, be sure to inspect second-hand furniture.
• Unfortunately, bed bugs won’t limit their territory to your furniture. They might occasionally make it to your home’s walls, especially around cracks.Added to that, you may find bed bug droppings near the ceilings. However, these areas can have cockroach droppings, which look similar to the faeces of bed bugs.One way to know the difference is to put on gloves and press the droppings. Cockroach droppings are granular, while bed bug poop is softer.
• If you notice dark spots around your electrical outlets or curtain rods, you’ll need to check for bug nests behind them. Try to unscrew any tools attached to the wall to check for more droppings or bed bug nests.

Read More: Signs For Having Bed Bugs

You can learn a lot more by closely examining bed bug droppings. Use a magnifying glass to take note of the stain’s age.

In general, the older droppings will have darker colours. They might also sink deeper into fabrics, leaving behind dried-out stains.

Wet a fabric rag or use baby wipes to wipe the bed bug droppings gently. If the droppings aren’t clear enough, try the smear test. If the droppings get smeared, they would likely belong to bed bugs.

We recommend cleaning any suspected stains once you call for an expert diagnosis. Even if you’ve seen the bed bugs with your own eyes, it’s better to clean the stains after you treat the infestation.

This way, you’ll be able to associate new faecal stains with bed bugs. It indicates that you need to try other solutions to eradicate the remaining bugs.

Follow the tips below to clean bed bug stains.

• Use baking soda or a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution to wipe the droppings.
• Follow with cold water as hot water would stain the fabric.
• Check the cleaning instructions on upholstery furniture so you don’t harm the fabric.

What does bed bug poop look like? Bed bug droppings are black or dark brown. You’ll likely find them in clusters, each the size of a pen’s ballpoint. If you suspect some stains, you can resort to the smear test.

Knowing how to identify insect droppings can help you diagnose insect bites before asking experts. This precious knowledge can also save you from wasting money on second-hand furniture that can spread the infestation in your house.

Altogether, the earlier you address a bed bug infestation, the better. Therefore, we recommend regular checkups around the house and if you find something suspicious, immediately call professional bed bug technicians to eradicate the pests.