To check for bed bugs, I'd keep it simple: a flashlight, a slow look along the mattress seams, and knowing what the signs look like. The signs are dark spots, tiny white eggs, shed skins and the bugs themselves. HealthLink BC's bed bug file puts them at one to 10 mm long.
A bed bug is a small, flat, wingless insect that feeds on blood and hides close to where people sleep. Bites can point to bed bugs, but HealthLink BC notes that some people don't react to them at all. A clear sign in the bed, or a bug caught for identification, is what settles it.
I co-own Merit Home Furniture, four stores on Vancouver Island, and I work the floor in Duncan. Mattresses are my trade. Pest control and medicine aren't, so the health and treatment advice that follows comes from Health Canada, HealthLink BC and BC law, named as I go. What I can add is how a mattress, box spring and frame are put together, and what the protectors on our listings say they do.
What do bed bugs look like, and can you see them?
Bed bugs can be seen with the naked eye once they've hatched. Health Canada says "Adult bedbugs can be as long as 10 mm". Adults are brown, and they "darken to a blood red colour after feeding", in Health Canada's words. HealthLink BC describes flat, oval bodies, which is what lets them squeeze into a mattress seam.
Nymphs, the young ones, are smaller at 1.5 mm and lighter in colour. Eggs are white, about one millimetre long, and "almost impossible to see on most surfaces", Health Canada says.
How fast bed bugs multiply
Health Canada's figures show why an early check matters. A female lays at least 200 eggs in her lifetime, and they usually hatch in 6 to 17 days. Bed bugs can also go from several weeks to a year and a half without feeding. A spare room nobody has slept in for months can't be assumed clear.
Signs of bed bugs, and what each one looks like
The early signs of bed bugs are usually marks on the bedding, found before anyone sees a bug. HealthLink BC lists what to look for, and Health Canada's inspection page adds what the spots look like.
| Sign | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Dark spots | Black or brown spotting on sheets, the mattress or the frame: dried blood or feces, per Health Canada. |
| Spots that smear | Droppings may "dissolve into a reddish brown colour when rubbed" with a baby wipe or glass cleaner. |
| Eggs | White specks about a millimetre long, tucked into seams and folds. |
| Shed skins | Empty casings left as the bugs grow. HealthLink BC calls it molted (old) skin. |
| Bugs | Flat, oval, brown to reddish insects, live or dead. |
| Bites | A red bump or flat welt that may itch, often on the face, neck, arms and hands. |
Health Canada adds that a bite can take as long as 14 days to appear. A trip two weeks back is fair to think about.
How to check for bed bugs at home, step by step
Checking for bed bugs at home is easier in daylight, with the bed stripped and a flashlight in hand. Health Canada also suggests something thin to scrape along seams, cotton swabs, a screwdriver and white plastic bags that seal. This is the order I'd go in, built on Health Canada's inspection page.
- Strip the bed. Look at each sheet and pillowcase under the light, then bag it. HealthLink BC says to wash bedding hot and dry it on the hottest setting.
- Work along the mattress seams. Health Canada says to "slowly lift up each corner of the mattress and examine all creases, tufts, and buttons". Check the piping, the handles and the law tag. A pillow top has a second seam where the top joins the body.
- Look underneath. Tip the mattress up and check the bottom face and edges. A queen or king is a two-person lift.
- Check the box spring. Health Canada points to the top surface, the fabric folds and the seams. The thin dust cover stapled underneath hides the wooden frame. If there are signs, Health Canada says to flip it and take that cloth off to look inside.
- Take the frame and headboard apart. Health Canada's list covers every crevice, screw, staple and tack, and the spots under wooden plugs.
- Move to the room. Empty the nightstand drawers, then check behind picture frames, under loose wallpaper, along baseboards and at electrical outlets.
- Check the couch. HealthLink BC says anyone sleeping on a couch should check it thoroughly, covers off.
- Catch one if you can. HealthLink BC suggests collecting a bug for identification, then calling a pest control professional or the local health authority.
Do bed bugs only come out at night?
Bed bugs are most active at night, HealthLink BC says, which is when they feed. By day they sit in the seams and cracks the steps above go looking in. Health Canada notes they "cannot fly or jump", so they walk to a sleeper or ride in on something.
Can bed bugs live in electronics?
Health Canada lists electrical outlets among the hiding places and says to check behind the faceplates, with the power turned off first. Neither government page talks about phones or laptops, so I won't guess. HealthLink BC's vacuuming list does include the spots "under lamps and other items on nightstands".
How to check for bed bugs in a hotel, before the suitcase comes in
Checking for bed bugs in a hotel uses the same signs, with the luggage kept out of the way. Health Canada's travel page says "Do a complete inspection of the room before bringing luggage, pets or other items in".
- Park the bag. Leave it on a hard floor. "Do not put your luggage on the bed", Health Canada says.
- Lift the mattress corners. Examine the creases and tufts of the mattress and box spring.
- Look at the headboard. If it's fixed to the wall, shine the light into the gap behind it.
- Check the pillows and closet. Both are on Health Canada's list.
- Unpack as little as you can. Use the luggage rack, not the drawers, and keep nothing under the bed.
- Ask for another room if you find signs. Health Canada says to notify the front desk, or stay somewhere else.
Luggage, travel tips and the trip home
Health Canada's advice starts before leaving: "Don't bring your pillow". Light-coloured plastic luggage makes a bug easier to spot. Back home, check the suitcase on a hard floor away from the bedroom, and wash all clothing hot, worn or not. Anything that can't be washed goes in the dryer "on the highest heat for 30 minutes". From the Island, that goes for a ferry weekend in Vancouver as much as a flight.
How do you get bed bugs in a clean house?
Bed bugs get into a clean house the same way as any other: somebody carries them in. HealthLink BC says they "hitch a ride on clothing, backpacks, luggage and books". It names homes, hotels, student residences and shelters as common places to find them. Nothing on that list depends on how tidy a home is. They feed on people and animals, HealthLink BC adds, but they don't live on their hosts the way fleas do; they visit to feed. Health Canada says to check where a pet sleeps, too.
Used furniture is the route I'd watch most closely, as a furniture man. Health Canada says to "be very cautious with second-hand or refurbished items" and never to take a mattress or sofa from a curb. HealthLink BC adds a check of anything from a garage sale or roadside pickup, without relying on the seller's word. A bed frame or upholstered chair gets the same inspection as a bed, outside, before it comes in.
New mattresses need a look too. Health Canada says new ones "are often delivered in the same truck that carries away old mattresses". HealthLink BC says to insist a new mattress is sealed before delivery and checked before it enters the home. That's a fair question for any store, Merit included.
Bed bug bites: what HealthLink BC says, and when to see a doctor
Bed bug bites usually cause a mild reaction, by HealthLink BC's account, and can take one to two weeks to heal. Health Canada says bed bugs "are not known to spread disease". HealthLink BC says to avoid scratching, to prevent infection, and that antiseptic creams and antihistamines can help. Some of those medicines may not be safe for children younger than 6, it notes, so a pharmacist is worth asking. HealthLink BC also says some people in infested homes report anxiety and insomnia, which are worth raising with a health care provider.
| When | What HealthLink BC says to do |
|---|---|
| Call 9-1-1 | Signs of a severe allergic reaction: wheezing, trouble breathing, fullness in the mouth or throat, or swelling of the lips, tongue or eyelids. |
| Call a doctor | New or worse signs of infection: more pain, redness or warmth, red streaks leading from the bite, pus, or a fever. |
| Call a doctor | Flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle aches or chills. |
| Call 8-1-1 | Any other concern. HealthLink BC connects callers with a registered nurse; 7-1-1 serves the deaf and hard of hearing. |
Nobody at Merit can tell whether a mark on your skin came from a bed bug. That belongs with a pharmacist, a nurse at 8-1-1 or your doctor.
Found bed bugs? Pest control, BC rentals and the mattress
Finding bed bugs is the point to call a professional. Health Canada says "it is strongly recommended that you hire a licensed professional pest control operator". HealthLink BC says companies often use insecticides or extremely high heat, and that multiple applications will likely be needed.
What kills bed bugs, and does anything kill all of them?
Heat kills them where it reaches them. Health Canada says "Bedbugs die at 50°C", and HealthLink BC says small items can go in a hot dryer for 30 minutes or more. Heat treatment of a home should be left to the professionals, Health Canada adds. Cold is less reliable: freezing needs 4 days of consistent cold at -19°C, Health Canada says, and may not kill every bug. I can't point to any one product that kills 100% of them, and neither government page claims one. Health Canada says to use only pesticides with a Pest Control Products (PCP) registration number, only as the label directs, and "do not use ozone generators". Its Pesticides Regulatory Directorate, called the Pest Management Regulatory Agency until 2026, registers those products. HealthLink BC recommends a qualified professional for chemical treatments, so I leave spray questions to Health Canada and a licensed operator.
Bed bugs in a BC rental: what landlords and tenants owe
Health Canada says a tenant with bed bugs ought to tell the landlord right away, and it suggests tenants speak with a public health officer for help. Under section 32 of BC's Residential Tenancy Act, a landlord must keep a rental in repair that "complies with the health, safety and housing standards required by law". Tenants must keep "reasonable health, cleanliness and sanitary standards". I'm not a lawyer. The province's Residential Tenancy Branch helps resolve disputes under the Act.
Whether the mattress goes depends on where the bugs are. Health Canada says to throw the bed out if bed bugs are inside the box spring, or if the mattress fabric has holes where eggs can hide. Otherwise it describes sealing the treated mattress in an encasement. Restwell's warranty brochure says it can "refuse service and invalidate the warranty" on an unsanitary mattress, and it lists infested beside soiled and stained. If the bed was near the end anyway, our guide to the signs a mattress is finished helps with that call.
Mattress encasements and protectors for bed bugs: what ours say
For bed bugs, the cover Health Canada describes is an encasement. Its advice is to "completely enclose your mattress and box spring in zippered bed encasements", tape over the zipper, and keep the mattress enclosed for a full year. Health Guard, the maker of the protectors we list for Duncan, says bugs sealed inside "can live for 1 year". It says an encasement generally has six sides and fully encloses the mattress, while a protector typically has five and fits like a fitted sheet.
I'd rather be plain about our own listings. The seven Health Guard mattress protectors Merit lists for the Duncan store say they protect against spills, allergens and dust mites. None says it stops bed bugs, and Merit has no encasement listed right now. For one, call the Duncan store with the mattress depth measured.
| Health Guard protector | Queen, before applicable taxes | Listing says it guards against |
|---|---|---|
| Premium Terry | $69.00 | Spills, allergens and dust mites |
| Cotton Touch | $109.00 | Spills, allergens and dust mites |
| Organic Bamboo | $189.00 | Spills, allergens and dust mites |
The other four we list, the Bamboo Plus protector, Tencel Dream protector, Active Charcoal protector and Cool Ice protector, carry the same line. The twin Premium Terry is $49.00 before applicable taxes. A protector still earns its place for spills and the warranty, as our rundown of which protector does which job explains. For bed bugs, though, five sides leave the underside and the box spring open.
Keeping a Beautyrest mattress free of bed bugs takes the same steps as any other bed. Merit lists nine Beautyrest mattresses, all carried at our Campbell River store; call that store for our best price. The Beautyrest lines at Campbell River include a pillow top model, so measure its depth before ordering an encasement.
How do you prevent bed bugs? Habits that make the next check easier
Preventing bed bugs means fewer places to hide. HealthLink BC suggests vacuuming under and behind furniture often, sealing cracks in wooden bed frames, tightening loose faceplates and clearing clutter. It also mentions petroleum jelly on bed legs, so bugs can't climb up. Health Canada notes bed bugs "cannot easily climb metal or polished surfaces", and after an infestation it suggests white or light-coloured sheets. A plain frame from our metal beds collection has fewer seams to inspect than a tufted headboard.
Health Canada says to check regularly without giving a number. My habit would be a look along the seams each time the sheets come off.
Where bed bug checks and home fixes fall short
- One clean check after a scare. Eggs are nearly invisible, so a few checks over several weeks tell you more.
- Moving to the spare room. Health Canada advises against moving to another bedroom after treatment, since bugs can follow.
- A protector bought as an encasement. Five sides leave the bottom open.
- An encasement with a rip in it. Health Canada says it only works while it stays intact, with no rips or holes.
- Sprays with no PCP number, homemade mixes and ozone machines, all of which Health Canada warns against.
- A handheld vacuum. HealthLink BC calls handheld and cloth-bag vacuums unsuitable for bed bug clean-up.
Where the bed bug facts in this guide come from
- HealthLink BC, HealthLinkBC File 95: Bed bugs (last updated September 3, 2024), checked November 2026.
- Health Canada, Bedbugs: what are they?, checked November 2026.
- Health Canada, Bedbugs: how do I prevent an infestation?, checked November 2026.
- Health Canada, Bedbugs: how do I get rid of them?, checked November 2026.
- Health Canada, Bedbugs: how do I make sure they don't come back?, checked November 2026.
- Health Canada, Bedbugs: how do I avoid them when travelling?, checked November 2026.
- HealthLink BC, Insect bites and stings and spider bites, with its call-a-doctor and emergency signs, checked November 2026.
- BC Laws, Residential Tenancy Act, section 32, obligations to repair and maintain, checked November 2026.
- BC Residential Tenancy Branch, Policy Guideline 1: Landlord and tenant responsibility for residential premises, checked November 2026.
- Health Canada, Pesticides Regulatory Directorate (formerly the Pest Management Regulatory Agency), checked November 2026.
- Health Guard, Barrier Plus Encasement page and its encasement questions, checked November 2026.
- Restwell Sleep Products, warranty brochure 2024, checked November 2026.
- Merit Home Furniture's live listings for the Health Guard protectors and Beautyrest mattresses named here, read November 1, 2026, and the owners' delivery, pickup and lead-time terms.
Asking about protectors and encasements at Merit's Duncan store
You'll find our Duncan store at 107 Ingram St, Monday to Saturday from 9 to 5. Protectors, pillows and sheets aren't shipped: they're picked up free at Duncan, or added to a delivery. From Duncan, delivery is $150 across the Island with assembly included, as our delivery and pickup page sets out. A new Restwell or Restonic mattress takes 2 to 3 weeks to be ready.
If an old mattress has had bed bugs, please tell us when the delivery is booked, so we can talk through what happens to it. Our notes on getting ready for delivery day cover the rest. If you do replace the mattress, Duncan's lines are listed under the Restwell mattresses we carry and the Restonic beds Duncan sells. The covers sit under every protector and pad we list, and there's more reading in our mattress and sleep guides for Island homes.