There aren't many other things that can make your skin crawl than the thought of bugs crawling on you while you're sleeping. If you've recently woken up to this nightmare scenario, there's a chance you could be dealing with bed bugs. But before you burn your entire house down, here's a few tips you can follow to confirm that you do have bed bugs and then hopefully remove the intruders from your bedroom.

Confirm It's Actually Bed Bugs

Just because a bug is in your bed does not mean that it's a "bed bug." Bed bugs have a distinct look to them but if you've never seen one before you're going to want to make sure that this is what you're dealing with. EPA.gov has an article with photos that should help you confirm the situation.

Remove Clutter

Your first course of action will likely be to wash your bed sheets, but don't stop there. Bed bugs don't just hide in your actual bed. They could be in numerous other places in your bedroom or home. Specifically, you want to pick up any clutter lying around on the ground that could provide bed bugs with a hiding spot. Bed bugs naturally seek out dark places, so be sure to pick up any clothes or towels you have lying on the floor. Bed bugs can also hide in laundry baskets or hampers. For best results, make sure you wash and heat dry all sheets, blankets and articles of clothing.

Contact a Professional

While a little spring cleaning and a few cycles in the washer and dryer can go a long way towards reducing your bed bug problem, it might not eradicate them completely. Bed bugs are pretty resilient when it comes to finding new hiding spots and, if it's a bad infestation, it's likely you're not going to be able to find and kill them all on your own. Reach out to a company, such as Arab Termite and Pest Control, or specialist that offers professional bed bug treatment if you want to be really sure that you've caught every last one of them. 

Bed bugs are a nightmare scenario for many homeowners, but you don't have to take this invasion lying down. After confirming that you do indeed have bed bugs, spring into action by picking up anything you have on the floor throughout your home that would be a good hiding spot and be sure to wash and heat dry all bedding, towels and clothing. For best results, reach out to a professional exterminator for bed bug treatment today.