If you live in the Southeast, you probably already know that bed bugs in Georgia have become a serious problem. In early 2025, Atlanta was ranked #6 in the U.S. for bed bug infestations and there are several factors that have contributed to the explosion of new outbreaks in the state. Among the many contributing factors that have led to the rise of these outbreaks are a warm and humid climate, increased travel and tourism, and an increase in high density housing.
If you think you might have bed bugs, it is best to solve the problem as fast as possible. These pests can double their numbers every two weeks, and infestations become more costly and time consuming as bed bug populations grow.
Here’s how to tell if you have bed bugs in Georgia and why you should hire a pest control company in Atlanta for a thorough bed bug inspection as soon as you notice them.
Key Takeaways
- Bed bugs are common in Georgia due to the warm climate, dense housing, and high travel activity, especially in cities like Atlanta and Savannah.
- Early detection is critical. Look for signs like live bugs, shed skins, fecal spots, eggs, and blood stains near beds, couches, and travel items.
- DIY methods are often ineffective because of pesticide resistance and rapid reproduction. Professional inspection and treatment are the most effective approach.
Why Are Bed Bugs Common in Georgia?
The main thing that makes Georgia an ideal place for bed bugs is the climate. The warm, humid weather is ideal for bed bugs, and the consistent 70-80 degree temperatures allow bed bugs to breed and spread throughout the year.
Bed bugs find their way into your home or business by hitchhiking on luggage and other items brought from outside. The warm Georgia weather supports year-round tourism, and the increased travel also helps these pests spread and thrive. That’s why we see a higher concentration of bed bugs and popular travel destinations like Savannah and Atlanta. Bed bugs can be found in buses, short term vacation rentals, and hotels. When people stay in any of these places, bed bugs can easily attach to your belongings where they are carried back to your living space.
Bed bugs are especially problematic in densely populated areas like apartments, multi-family homes, and student housing. They spread between units and can survive for months without feeding. They also become resistant to common insecticides making store-bought treatments less effective.
What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?
If you’ve never seen a bed bug infestation first hand, you may not know how to tell if you have bed bugs or something else. Luckily, there are a few easy ways to tell, and after reading this guide you’ll know exactly what kind of pests you are dealing with.
Bed bugs are small and are commonly misidentified as other insect types like ticks and carpet beetles. Bed bugs do have a distinct appearance, however, and it is important to know how they look at different stages of their life cycle.
Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed (about 5-7 mm) and they have flat, reddish-brown, oval-shaped bodies. They appear darker after feeding on blood and you will often notice the color difference in the morning.
Nymphs have the same shape as older bed bugs but they are much lighter in color. They are pale and can even be translucent due to the thin exoskeleton. In addition to the lighter color, nymphs are hard to spot because of their size. Nymphs are very small and like to stay hidden in seams and other tight spaces.
Bed bug eggs are mostly hidden away in the same places you find nymphs. You’ll find bed bug eggs grouped in clusters, either in hiding spots or near a regular feeding site. The small, white, oval-shaped eggs can be difficult to see because they are only about 1 mm long.
If you suspect that you have a bed bug infestation, the best places to look for these elusive pests are tight spaces near beds and couches. Because of their small size and flat body shape, bed bugs can squeeze into mattress seams, box springs, under mattresses, behind headboards, and even electrical outlets.
Another helpful note about bed bug identification is that when you find where they are hiding, they will be in large groups. Bed bugs use aggregation pheromones to form clusters.
Look out for signs
Now that you know what to use to find bed bugs and where to look, it’s important to go over what exactly you are looking for.
Bed bugs, as we described earlier, have flat round buddies and they have a dark reddish brown color. If you see live bed bugs, while searching, it’s quite possible that you have found the source of the problem. However, keep in mind that bed bugs can cluster up in multiple locations as they do not follow a social structure, like ants, bees, and other pests.
In the absence of live bugs, there are quite a few other things you can look for as well.
Shed skins
Bed bugs have exoskeletons that are translucent and light yellow. These skins are left behind by the molting process and usually appear as ‘hollow bugs’ because they maintain the original shape. You may see many sizes of shed skins because bed bugs can shed up to five times while growing from nymph to adult.
If you do see shed skins, it is a strong indication that you’re dealing with an infestation that has become advanced. That means the bed bugs you’re dealing with have achieved the ability to go through a complete life cycle, which also means they’ve had plenty of time to multiply.
Tiny white eggs
Bed bug eggs are very small. They are around 1 millimeter long which is roughly the size of a pinhead. They have a pearl-like color to them and a sticky outer coating that helps them adhere to surfaces. You will usually find bed bug eggs in the same places that the adults are hiding in. Mattress seems, inside furniture, joints, behind headboards, and anywhere else the adults can fit into are all possible breeding locations.
Whether you find one egg or several. Their presence means that the bed bug infestation is active and spreading. Bed bugs can spread very quickly. In places like Georgia where climate conditions are optimal for these pests, it is not uncommon to see bed bugs doubling their numbers every 16 days or so, especially when they have access to a reliable food source.
Black fecal spots
Black fecal spots are a common site when bed bug infestations are present. They appear as tiny, black or dark brown dots that are easily misidentified as pepper, mold, pen ink marks.
These spots can be found anywhere bed bugs are hiding, but they can also be found along high traffic areas like songs between their host and their nesting areas. You can also find black fecal spots on box springs, and electrical outlets. And furniture.
Since bed bug fecal matter is composed of digested blood, it can permanently stain any fabric based material that comes in contact with.
Blood Stains
Blood stains are another common problem with bed bugs, and it is usually one of the first signs that people notice. Blood stains from bed bugs appear as small smears or dots of blood left behind after feeding or when a bad bug is accidentally crushed.
The most common place to see blood stains caused by bed bugs is on pajamas, pillowcases, mattress covers, and on sheets.
Musty Odor
In bed bug infestations become especially large, they can create a musty order in whichever areas they inhabit. The order is a distinct, unpleasant smell that is produced by the bug scent glands. Many people describe the smell as being similar to a wet towel, overwrite, raspberries, or moldy laundry.
If you do smell bed bugs, it is very likely that the infestation you’re dealing with is in an advanced stage that requires immediate attention.
How to Check for Bed Bugs in Georgia Homes?
Because they are so prevalent across the state of Georgia, it is always a good idea to know how to check for bed bugs. Whether you need to check for early signs of bed bugs or find out where they are hiding, there are several easy things you can do.
Step 1: Collect the right tools for the job
Bed bugs are more active at night so you will need a flashlight, but make sure that it is not too bright. A flashlight bright enough to allow you to see in the dark comfortably but that is not bright enough to flood the entire room with light is usually best, because you don’t want to spook the bed bugs.
You’ll also need a magnifying glass. Bed bugs are small, but their nymphs and eggs are even smaller. Bed bug eggs, for example, can be as small as one millimeter long and can be very difficult to spot at night with the naked eye.
To help you see into the tight spaces bed bugs like to hide, it is also helpful to have a flat-edged tool like a credit card, butterknife, or something similar. You may need the tool to look in between layers of bedding, mattress, and even along seams.
Step 2: Know where to look
Once you’ve gathered all of the necessary tools, you’ll need to know where exactly bed bugs like to hide. Well, they can be pretty much anywhere within your home or business, we usually find them clustered and large numbers within 3 feet of where people sleep.
They like to be close to their food source, so they will find crevices, cracks, seams, folds, and fabric and upholstery, and any other tight space they can to lie and wait for the next night cycle.
They can also be hidden away in box springs, mattresses, bed frames, nightstands, and headboards. Since they have such small flat buddies, it’s easy for them to find shelter in furniture, joints, and other structural components around your bedroom.
Bed bugs are also known to travel from unit to unit and room to room in search of food. That’s why these pests can be found behind baseboards, inside of electrical outlets, and even behind your wallpaper, picture frames, and wall decor.
Step 3: Inspect Travel Items Carefully
Speaking of travel, bed bugs often find their way into your home or business through travel. They hitchhike onto luggage, clothes, and backpacks and will transfer to your furniture and bed once you have brought those items back home. It’s important to inspect luggage. Seems very carefully. As well as all of the clothes, shoes, and bedding you traveled with. Many people will use the bathtub as a temporary quarantine zone while checking these items.
Are Bed Bugs Hard to Get Rid Of?
Bed bugs can be very hard to get rid of, and there are a lot of reasons for that.
Rapid Reproduction Makes Control Challenging
A single female bed bug lays more than 100 eggs throughout her entire lifetime. In the right conditions, each female can lay up to five eggs per day.
It only takes 6-9 days for the eggs to hatch and over-the-counter sprays are usually ineffective against them. Eggs are also very resistant to home remedies. It does not take long for a small infestation to become large, even when people attempt to stop the spread early on.
Growing Resistance to Pesticides
Many of the bed bug species found in Georgia have developed resistance to pyrethyroid-based insecticides, which are the most common type found in local stores.
Bed bugs that have recently fed are also more resistant to chemical treatments, which means well-fed bed bugs can easily survive a DIY chemical treatment. Many home and business owners don’t understand the complexities of bed bug biology, and can attempt the wrong type of treatment for the conditions they’re being used in.
High Risk of Reinfection
Another thing that makes bed bugs so hard to get rid of is the high risk of reinfestation. All it takes is one single fertilized female to create a full-blown infestation in a matter of a few weeks.
Another problem that we see is that DIY methods often scatter bugs to nearby rooms and units, essentially creating multiple infestations in the surrounding areas. When this happens, these bugs can easily return to the original site after a few days or weeks. We most commonly see this type of reinfestation happen around multi-unit, housing, hotels, and shared living environments.
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in a Mattress, Furniture, Carpet, Clothes, and Luggage?
| Area | Treatment Method | Key Notes / Warnings |
| Mattress & Box Spring | Steam seams and vacuum thoroughly Encase in bed-bug-proof covers | Covers trap bugs inside and prevent new infestations; use only EPA-approved products |
| Furniture | Remove cushions and treat seams and joints Apply Cryonite or residual dust in cracks | Disassemble where possible; bugs hide deep in frames and under fabric |
| Carpet | Steam along baseboards and furniture edges Vacuum thoroughly | Bugs don’t live deep in carpet but use it to move between hiding spots |
| Clothes | Wash and dry on highest heat (30+ minutes) Store in sealed bins | Heat kills all life stages; avoid recontaminating clean clothes |
| Luggage | Vacuum seams and zippers Use portable heat after travel Store off-floor in sealed space | Inspect after trips; suitcases are common transport sources for bed bugs |
| Advanced Methods | Heat treatment (120–135°F for 60+ min) Fumigation for resistant bugs Natural sprays (limited real-world use) | Professional heat and gas treatments are most effective; natural sprays have mixed results |
Professional Treatment is Essential
Not only will a pest control company get rid of the problem completely, but they will also guarantee their work. If reinfestation does occur, a professional company will return and apply additional treatments at no additional cost. Your team will also work closely with you to identify the root of the problem and help you develop strategies to keep the problem from coming back.
Why are professional services better than DIY approaches? For one thing, a reputable pest control company, like Nextgen Pest Solutions, will use a comprehensive, multi-treatment approach that is tailored to the specific needs of your situation. Treatment options often require the use of expensive equipment and include things like targeted chemical applications, heat treatments, and cryonite treatments.
Schedule a Free Bed Bug Inspection in Georgia
Whether your bed bug problem is small, advanced, it is always best to take care of the problem as quickly and thoroughly as possible. If you suspect that you have bed bugs or that you might be at risk of a bed bug infestation, call our pest control experts today and schedule a free bed bug inspection and treatment. Will send a certified specialist to your home or business discreetly, to assess the situation. Our pest control teams are trained to provide you with the most comprehensive and cost-effective bed bug control strategy available.
