Bedbugs probably got their name from sneaking into people's beds and biting them while they were sleeping. Bedbugs are active at night. They come to feed on the sleeping person and then they leave. Bedbugs hide during the day.
When a bedbug egg hatches, the immature, or nymph must find a host so it can get a blood meal. As it grows, it will shed its skin about five times. Each time it sheds its skin, the nymph must get another blood meal.
Bedbugs prefer to be near the place where they feed, so when a bedbug infestation starts, almost all of the bedbugs hide on the bed. The mattress is an ideal place for bedbugs to hide.
Bedbugs are almost flat, so the nymphs can hide along the edges of the mattress and under the seams. As they grow larger, the bedbugs hide in the large crack between the mattress and the box spring.
If the mattress is covered with a mattress cover, the bedbugs will have an even better hiding place. They can hide inside the cover, under the elastic that holds the cover down. Inside the mattress cover, bedbugs can avoid being spotted.
No matter how well they hide, the bedbugs habits may give them away. After they feed, bedbugs leave dark fecal stains. These are sometimes left on the sheets and bedding. It is more common to find these stains around the places where the bedbugs hide.
If bedbugs are hiding inside a mattress cover, the dark fecal stains will show through the light fabric. When the cover is removed, the homeowner might find dark fecal stains around the tufts and seams of the mattress.
Finding these fecal stains should be the signal to do a complete inspection. If they suspect that bedbugs have invaded, many people call a pest control professional. These people will have the knowledge and experience to identify a bedbug problem. They will also have the products and equipment necessary to treat bedbugs effectively.