Finding Dead Bed Bugs? Find Out Why

If you’re finding dead bugs, then it can be a sigh of relief, or it should leave you terribly worried.

In this guide, you’ll find out the scenarios when you can come across dead bed bugs in your home. 

You’ll also find out what steps you must take on seeing their corpses.

Let’s dive in.

Why Do You Keep Finding Dead Bed Bugs?

There are two scenarios that you find dead bugs in your home – 

1. Bed bugs are reacting to the insecticide treatment, and they’re dying.
2. There’s a bed bug infestation in your home, and they’re dying their natural deaths.

Let’s get into each of them.

Bed Bugs Dying Days After Bed Bug Treatment

Let’s face it. Bed bugs are challenging pests to eliminate.

In case of a heavy infestation, exterminators use both heat and insecticides to get rid of bed bugs.

He’ll also pay a follow-up visit to your home multiple times after the primary treatment to check how effective the treatment has been.

Bed bugs hide in the thinnest of cracks and the deepest corners of your home. 

That’s why unlike heat treatment, which kills bed bugs instantly, insecticide sprays sometimes take time to kill bed bugs.

However, a poorly administered and implemented bed bug treatment doesn’t work at all.

It may cause reduction in bed bug activity. But bed bugs can come back even after three or more substandard treatments.

But a well administered treatment, be it heat treatment or insecticide treatment, done by a reliable pest controller has a huge chances of success.

Many insecticide sprays that professionals use have residual toxicity. 

It means that the insecticides can remain active on the surfaces and inside the crevices a few days after the spraying.

So, when bed bugs encounter those insecticide spray deposits, they die. And it can happen even a few days and sometimes months after treatment. 

In fact, in the follow-up visits, the exterminator will consider the sightings of dead bed bugs as a positive sign.

It means that the treatment has worked. So, finding dead bugs after treatment is a good sign.

Now comes the second scenario. And it’s not something that you’ll want.

There’s A Bed Bug Infestation In Your Home!

If you’ve never had a bed bug infestation in your home, or you didn’t treat your house for bed bugs, then finding dead bugs is a sign of bed bug infestation. 

Some of the bed bugs are finishing their lifecycle, naturally, and they’re dying their natural deaths.

If you’re finding dead bed bugs in the places where they infest, then it’s a clear indication that bed bugs are around.

So, sightings of dead bed bugs in your bed, couch, carpet, and even in the gaps on the hardwood floor and furniture within 6-8 feet distance from your bed are menacing.

In that case, you’ll need to look out for the other signs of bed bug infestation and act fast.

And what are the signs of bed bug infestation?

Dead bed bugs, bite marks on your body, bed bug shells, live bed bugs, baby bed bugs, and blood spots on your bedsheet are signs of bed bugs.

Bed bug bite marks are zig-zag itchy red welts on the skin that remain exposed while you’re asleep. 

Preventing bed bug bites while you’re asleep is doable. But that’s not the solution for the infestation.

When the infestation is heavy, bed bugs in drawers are also possible. They’ll hide in the folds of linen and clothing in the drawers. 

Bed bugs can also infest the mattress in the baby cribs. 

If you’re finding mysterious bug bite marks on your kid’s body, then bed bugs can be the culprit.

The worst part? Bed bugs in the baby car seat are an outcome of bed bug infestation in your home!

So, what to do if you see dead bed bugs if you’ve never had a bed bug infestation. 

What To Do If You’re Finding Dead Bed Bugs?

If you’re finding dead bed bugs after treatment, then you don’t need to worry much. Co-operate with the exterminator and follow the directions.

But if you’re finding dead bed bugs suddenly, then you need to take some measures. You shouldn’t take it lightly, even if you found one dead bed bug. 

It’s because bed bugs are not lone random intruders. They always infest in a group. 

Finding even a single bed bug inside your home should be a cause of alarm.

A single bed bug can hitchhike onto your clothing and luggage. And if that bed bug is a female, then infestation is for sure.

It’s because a female bed bug with eggs will lay eggs in your home, which will lead to an infestation.

So, here are the three basic steps to take if you’re finding dead bed bugs when you haven’t ever had an infestation and a bed bug treatment in your home.

1. Check for the signs of bed bugs in places where they infest.
2. Use a steam cleaner to clean the soft furnishing, including your bed mattress. Heat kills bed bugs for sure. 
3. Hire a pest controller for bed bug inspection.

Again, bed bugs are resilient. DIY ways fail to get rid of bed bugs unless the infestation levels are at the early stages.

Bed bug treatments are expensive, especially for a heavy infestation. But if you’ve spotted the infestation when it’s low, then you can get rid of bed bugs cheaply too.

Do Bed Bugs Play Dead?

No bed bugs don’t play dead. They don’t fake their death to escape their predators. 

Bed bugs don’t have many predators inside your home or bed unless a spider or ants spot them and eat them.

So, when bed bugs are dead, they’re actually dead. And what do dead bed bugs look like?

Let’s find it out.

What Do Dead Bed Bugs Look Like?

Dead bed bugs look paler than their natural color, and they die with their bodies curled up. 

However, a bed bug that died recently doesn’t look pale. And some of the bed bugs die with their undersides up. 

Summary

Finding dead bugs is a standard occurrence under two scenarios –

1. After bed bug treatment
2. You’ve got a bed bug infestation in your home

In this guide, you’ve learned what to do in each of these scenarios. You shouldn’t take the sightings of dead bed bugs in the second scenario lightly. 

Check for bed bug signs in your home and call a professional for a home-wide bed bug infestation.