As you wake up, you may notice something strange — dead bedbugs in your bedroom. Is this a good sign or a warning that something more serious is going on?
Thoughts may race in your head – have you squished them, or did they die on their own? Are more bedbugs lurking around and waiting to feast on your blood while you sleep?
If you’ve ever experienced this, it’s understandable that you’d feel concerned. In general, finding a dead bug might strongly indicate that this won’t be the last of it.
You’re more likely to continue finding them – either more dead bedbugs or live ones. These bed bugs are considered to be solitary insects but don’t be surprised if you find them in groups too. Most likely, if that dead bedbug you’ve recently found was a female, it may have had laid its eggs before it died.
However, before you do jump to conclusions and before doing anything else, there are a few things that you should check to confirm if it’s a dead bed bug. Sometimes, it might be an exoskeleton, and it might mean differently if that thing you found is a dead bug.
What Do Dead Bedbugs Look Like?
Adult bed bugs are usually 5-9mm in length and will usually have a brownish-red color. If you’ve seen a wood tick before, these bedbugs might similarly look the same as these creatures.
Alive ones are brown in color but give off a red-violet tinge after feeding.
Dead bed bugs tend to look flat and dry and will often be darker in color than living ones. They have similar appearances to German roaches; however, bed bugs have shorter antennae and wings.
Additionally, dead bedbugs might also have curled bodies, as their body will often contract after they die. Additionally, they’re often lying on their backs – this is one sign that they’re dead.
Bed bugs that are still on their feet might be still alive, and you might notice that they’ll crawl away when disturbed. Take a closer look and see if the bug has legs attached too.
If what you’ve found matches any of these descriptions, it’s more likely that it was a dead bed bug and not an exoskeleton or something else.
An exoskeleton is usually left behind after the bedbug has molted and it’s white-ish in color. It looks similar to the bed bug’s body, however, its color is different, and you’ll notice that this exoskeleton is missing legs.
Finding Dead Bedbugs In Your Room: What Does This Mean?
Disconcerting, isn’t it? Aside from being visually unpleasant, it may mean multiple things. Analyzing the dead bed bug might give you some hints of what’s happening in your bedroom.
Your Pest Control Treatments are Working
Have you recently had a pest control treatment done in your home?
If you’ve recently had professional exterminators apply chemical or heat treatments, then finding one (or a lot) of these bugs laying flat on their back means the treatments are working. This could be a good indicator that the pest control treatments have been successful.
Most of the time, bed bugs won’t immediately die after the treatments. It’s more likely that you might find them wandering in your room, trying to escape from their imminent death.
This means they’ve been exposed to the treatment and are now crawling around – searching for refuge and waiting to die.
You Have a Bed Bug Infestation
While it could be a good sign for those who’ve had an infestation and treatment done in their home, this could also be a negative thing for others.
If you haven’t had any kind of bed bug control treatment done, then it might mean that you have a bed bug infestation in your home.
If the dead bedbug is still plump, then it may mean that there’s an infestation in one or other parts of your home. Naturally, bedbugs are solitary creatures.
They don’t work in groups and can live for up to an entire year without feeding on blood. If you’ve recently found a single bedbug in your room dead, don’t celebrate just yet.
This might mean that there are more of them and that there’s an infestation happening right under your nose.
Bed bugs don’t have “nesting” places. Although solitary, they won’t mind spending most of their time with other bedbugs.
Often, they’ll choose to stay on your mattress, behind your bed’s headboards, behind wall clocks, or even in dark crevices in your bedroom.
Chances are, finding a single dead bedbug might also mean that you’ll find more of them – even exoskeletons.
Finding exoskeletons is even a scarier sign as this means that more bed bug eggs have hatched and have already molted. They multiply like wildfire, so you’ll need to do something about it.
What to Do If You Find a Dead Bed Bug After a Treatment
In some cases, a single treatment might not be enough to tackle an entire infestation. While it’s a good sign that these bugs are dying and that the exterminators have been successful, it’s still wise to contact a professional and get a second treatment done.
While you’re at it, you may also do some of these things to help get rid of the dead bugs in your home:
Vacuum All Corners of Your Home
Nothing beats a good ‘ole vacuum cleaner to help get rid of the bed bugs. Vacuuming is an effective way of getting rid of those shells, dead bodies, and exoskeletons from your home.
Your vacuum cleaner should have a disposable bag to help you get rid of these bugs in a jiffy.
Declutter Your Room
Although you’ve had your first treatment done, bed bugs may still be lurking around your home. While some have already died, there may be a few that are still alive.
Decluttering your room can help you get rid of the bed bugs hiding in plain sight.
Throw Away Unnecessary Items
If you’ve recently traveled, there’s a chance that you may have brought bed bugs with you. Make sure to throw away any unnecessary items that can be considered “infested.”
Bed bugs usually hide in clothes, luggage, and furniture. Immediately wash and dry any clothing you bring in, and throw away old items from your home that are no longer needed.
Go for a Second Treatment
Call in the professionals and inform them of the dead bedbug you’ve found in one of the areas of your home. A second treatment is usually necessary to make sure that you’ve taken care of the entire infestation.
Also, have them come back to inspect your home one or two weeks after their second visit to check if there are still issues left in your home.
What to Do If You Find a Dead Bed Bug Without Treatment
If you haven’t had any kind of pest control treatment done and are finding dead bed bugs in your bedroom, then it’s a sign that there might be an infestation in your home. In this case, getting proper treatment right away is crucial.
Depending on how severe the infestation may be, the kind of treatment and where these treatments will take place may vary.
Finding a single dead bedbug doesn’t necessarily indicate they’re all over your home. While it’s true that there’s an ongoing infestation, this doesn’t always mean that they’ve taken control over your entire home.
As mentioned earlier, these bed bugs like to stay near humans. Where do we usually stay during the night? That’s right – in our bedroom.
As nocturnal creatures, they will likely come out during nighttime to feed on their sleeping host. This is why bedbugs don’t usually come out in the morning. They hide in the dark, sleeping during the day, and come out only when we’re asleep.
With that being said, a professional pest control company needs to inspect your home and identify where bed bugs are hiding. From there, they’ll be able to decide the right kind of treatment and the frequency of the treatment at the same time.
Work with a reliable and experienced pest control company to ensure that the treatments are done right the first time.
As mentioned earlier, chemical treatments may require 2-3 overall treatments before the entire infestation is taken care of.
With that being said, don’t forget to schedule follow-up inspections and treatments to help get rid of the remaining bed bugs and prevent any potential re-infestation.
Final Thoughts
If you’re rattled by the sight of a dead bedbug, it may mean either of two things: the chemical treatments are working, or there’s an ongoing infestation in your home.
In either case, seeking the help of the right company is vital to make sure that the infestation is taken care of.
Some things you may do on your end may include but are not limited to regular vacuuming, washing clothes and sheets from travel, decluttering your room, and so on.
All this, combined with the help of experienced professionals, can help you get rid of these nasty pests in no time.
