How can I test myself for bed bugs?

You can test yourself for bed bugs by performing thorough inspections of your sleeping area and using monitoring tools, though there is no medical test on your body that detects bed bugs, only inspection for signs and bites. To test for bed bugs at home, start with visual inspection of your bed, using flashlight and magnifying glass to check mattress seams, piping, tufts, zippers, tags, box spring edges and staples, headboard screw holes and joints, and nearby furniture within 5 to 8 feet of bed, looking for live bugs that are small, flat, oval, reddish-brown about apple seed size, dark fecal spots like ink dots, rust-colored stains, shed skins, and tiny white eggs. Use interceptor traps or bed bug monitors placed under bed legs overnight, these are small plastic cups that trap bugs as they climb up to feed, providing evidence. You can also place double sided tape around bed legs. Check sheets and pillowcases for rust stains and fecal spots. For bite testing, note if you have itchy red welts in line or zigzag pattern on exposed skin appearing overnight, though bites alone are not definitive. If traveling, inspect hotel mattress seams and headboard before unpacking and keep luggage on luggage rack. For definitive testing, collect any suspected bugs in sealed bag and have pest control professional or entomologist identify under microscope, and consider professional canine inspection, as dogs can detect bed bugs with high accuracy.