Fact checked by Jonathan Eilenberg, CPE
Jonathan Eilenberg, CPE
Jonathan Eilenberg is a Certified Professional Ergonomist who is a Senior Ergonomics Engineer at Casper with over 6 years of experience in occupational injury prevention.
Signs of bed bugs in pillows include fecal marks and shed exoskeletons, bite marks, red stains on pillowcases, and a musty odor. To address the issue, inspect pillow seams for bugs, wash and dry pillows at high heat, apply safe insecticide, or use encasement covers. For severe infestations, consider calling a professional exterminator.
Realizing that you’re sharing your pillow with some uninvited guests might have you giving up on ever getting a good night’s sleep.
Bed bugs love to cuddle up inside pillows. Even if you have a spotless living space, it’s possible to unknowingly pick up a few hitchhikers while traveling and carry them home. All of a sudden, you now have a serious bed bug problem, infesting furniture, mattresses, and even pillows, where you lay your very own head.
Wondering how to spot bed bugs in pillows? The top 4 signs are:
Hopefully, these troublesome critters haven’t paid you a visit, but if they have, we’re here with a comprehensive guide on what to look out for, and ways to win back a peaceful night’s slumber.
Bed bugs are minuscule, blood-sucking insects that have mastered the art of concealment. Being nocturnal, they hide out during the day and emerge when night falls.1 While they can set up shop in any part of a bed, pillows are a favorite spot.2
Fortunately, they aren’t venomous and don’t spread disease1 — but they’re definitely gross.
There are four main symptoms of this age-old sleep nemesis.
Keep an eye out for tiny black spots (roughly the size of a period) on or around your pillows. These are likely bed bug droppings.1
Bed bugs also periodically shed the outer layer of their shell. These cast skins, which are oval-shaped and look similar to a live bed bug,3 will tend to cluster near the bugs’ home base.
Often, bite marks on your body are the first clue that the critters have taken up residence in your pillow.
Bed bug bites commonly take the form of:
These bites often itch like crazy, although some lucky people don’t itch.4
It’s important to keep in mind that not everyone will react to bites,1 so if you don’t notice bite marks, but spot other signs, you may still have a bed bug infestation.
Since bed bugs suck blood, they may leave droplets behind which stain the fabric of your pillowcase or the surrounding sheets.
Inspect your pillowcase and nearby sheets for small, rust-colored splotches, which can be signs of infested pillows. Learn more about bed bug eggs on sheets in our blog.
The final giveaway is a sweet scent, which many people describe as being similar to berries.5 This is the aroma of bed bug pheromones.
In the case of a severe infestation, you may notice an intense, metallic “rusty” smell.9 Any unexplained scent near your pillow is cause for investigation.
So, you’ve spotted some possible signs, but still aren’t 100% sure you’ve been paid a visit by a bed bug family. What can you do next?
Bed bugs love to reside in tight, dark spaces.1 This makes pillowcase seams and crevices inviting hideouts.
Using a flash flight, carefully examine your entire pillow and pillowcase, taking the time to peel back the seams and look beneath any folds. Also check the area where the tag meets the pillow.
Adult bed bugs are1:
Even if you only spot one or two during the course of your search, there’s more where they came from, possibly even a colony of bed bug eggs waiting to hatch…
In addition to a visual inspection, you can also use specialized tools designed to reveal a covert colony.
Methods include:
Keep in mind that these tools only serve to estimate the size of the infestation—they won’t eliminate bed bugs.
Once you’ve zeroed in on the problem, there are a few tried-and-true methods to eradicate these unwelcome guests from your pillows:
What’s even better than eliminating bed bugs? Putting out the no vacancy sign before they roll through.
The top two methods to keep bed biters from moving in are:
A bout with bed bugs can rattle your peace of mind, no question. But these critters aren’t invincible, and with the right approach you can achieve and maintain bed bug-free pillows.
At Casper, our mission is to provide the tools you need for A-plus sleep. Our tried-and-true method? Engineering heavenly pillows like our cooling memory foam pillow with Snow Technology, or crafting blissful snooze-factory mattresses. But other times it means offering guidance on how to defend your bedding from invaders.
Either way, Casper is here for you and your slumber. Discover our offerings today.
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