The clearest signs of bed bugs are dark black spots along mattress seams, small rust-coloured blood stains on bedsheets, pale shed skins near the bed, and bites that appear overnight in a line or cluster. Live bugs are reddish-brown, flat and about the size of an apple seed.
Bed bugs — known as khatmal (खटमल) in Hindi and dhekun (ढेकूण) in Marathi — are easy to miss for weeks. They feed at night, hide in seams and joints during the day, and by the time most households notice them the infestation has already spread beyond one bed. This page shows you exactly what to look for and how to check your own home before calling anyone.
Usually the first thing anyone notices. Bed bug bites tend to show up on skin left uncovered while sleeping — arms, shoulders, neck, face, ankles — and often appear in a rough line or small cluster of three or four rather than scattered singly. They were not there when you went to bed.
Important: bites alone do not confirm anything. Skin reactions vary enormously from person to person, and in the same bed one person may react visibly while another shows nothing at all. Always look for physical evidence as well.
Note: This page is for identification purposes only. For any skin reaction, rash or allergy, please consult a qualified doctor. We are pest control specialists, not medical practitioners.
These are bed bug droppings — tiny black dots, roughly the size of a full stop, usually concentrated along the piping and seams of the mattress, in the corners of the bed frame, and where the headboard meets the wall. On light-coloured fabric they look like someone touched the surface with a fine black marker.
If you rub one gently with a damp cloth it smears rather than flakes. This is one of the most reliable signs there is.
Small rust or brown coloured smears, often near where you sleep. These come from bugs being crushed while feeding, or from a bite that bled slightly afterwards. They are easiest to spot on white or light bedding.
Bed bugs shed their outer casing five times as they grow, so an established infestation leaves behind pale, translucent, hollow shells that look like empty bed bugs. Eggs are about 1 mm long, white and oval, often glued in small clusters into seams and crevices. Both are usually found in the same hiding places as the droppings.
Adults are reddish-brown, flat, oval and about 4 to 5 mm long — roughly the size of an apple seed. After feeding they swell and turn darker red. Young bugs, called nymphs, are much smaller and nearly translucent, which is why they are often missed entirely.
Heavier infestations produce a distinct sweet, musty odour, sometimes compared to overripe berries or damp coriander. If a bedroom smells this way and you cannot trace the source, inspect it properly.
You do not need equipment beyond a torch. Do this in daylight or with a strong light, and take your time.
Take a photo of anything you find. It is far easier to identify from a clear photograph than from memory.
This matters because the treatment for each of these is completely different. Treating for bed bugs when the problem is something else wastes money and leaves the real issue untouched.
| Often confused with | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Cockroach nymphs | Longer and more slender than bed bugs, with visible antennae, and they run fast when disturbed. Bed bugs move slowly. |
| Carpet beetles | Rounder, harder-shelled, often patterned or mottled. Found in carpets and wardrobes rather than mattress seams. |
| Dust mites | Microscopic — you cannot see them at all. If you can see the insect, it is not a dust mite. Dust mites cause allergy symptoms, not bites. |
| Fleas | Jump. Bed bugs cannot jump or fly. Flea bites usually cluster around the ankles and lower legs. |
| Bird mites | Far smaller, and usually appear after a pigeon or bird nest near a window, balcony or AC unit. |
| Mosquito bites | Usually single and scattered, and the mosquito is audible. Bed bug bites appear in lines or clusters and arrive silently. |
For dust mite or bird mite treatment, see our full-service division at asaipestcontrol.com.
Take a clear photo of the insect, or of the dark spots on your mattress seam, and send it to us on WhatsApp. We will tell you what it is at no cost and with no obligation to book anything.
If it turns out not to be a bed bug, we will say so and point you in the right direction. We would rather give you an honest answer than sell you the wrong treatment.
Look for physical evidence rather than relying on bites. Dark black droppings along mattress seams, rust-coloured stains on bedsheets, pale shed skins and live reddish-brown insects about the size of an apple seed together confirm bed bugs. Bites alone are not proof, because skin reactions vary from person to person.
Mattress seams and piping, bed frame joints, behind and on top of headboards, sofa seams and cushion folds, curtain hems, drawer runners, skirting boards and, in heavier infestations, switchboards and picture frames. They stay within a few metres of where people sleep.
Yes. Adult bed bugs are 4 to 5 mm long, flat, oval and reddish-brown — about the size of an apple seed. Young nymphs are much smaller and nearly translucent, which is why early infestations are often missed until droppings or stains appear.
No. Bed bugs are not known to transmit disease to humans. The real problems they cause are bites, itching, disturbed sleep and considerable stress, and infestations spread quickly if left untreated.
Skin reactions to bed bug bites vary widely between individuals. Two people can sleep in the same bed and be bitten equally, while only one develops visible marks. This is why the absence of bites on one person does not mean there is no infestation.
Most commonly through luggage after travel or a hotel stay, second-hand mattresses and furniture, and movement between flats in housing societies through wall cracks, plumbing ducts and electrical conduits. Cleanliness is not a factor — bed bugs are found in spotless homes as often as in cluttered ones.
Do not move to another room, as the bugs will follow. Contain the affected room, wash and heat-dry bedding, vacuum thoroughly and dispose of the bag outside. Then arrange a professional inspection, because shop-bought sprays do not reach the eggs hidden inside seams and cracks.
If you have found any of the signs above, an inspection tells you how far it has spread and what it will cost to clear. Inspection is free and carries no obligation.
We cover Thane, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, and work 7:00 AM to 10:30 PM, all seven days. Our office is in Khopat, Thane West.
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Related pages: Bed bug treatment overview · Treatment cost · Thane · Mumbai · Navi Mumbai
