From Jennifer Lai,
Your Guide to Apartment Living / Rental.
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Bedbugs can be difficult to detect — until you get the telltale signs of bites — because they prefer living in dark cracks and crevices. Their favorite resting spots are obviously near the bed, especially the mattress, box spring and bed frame. But they'll also hide in furniture and clutter. At night, they come out to feast—hence the famous rhyme, Good night. Sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.

Where to Look for Bed Bugs

Gary Alpert writes, "By checking the bed linen in the middle of the night you have the best opportunity to find bed bugs on the move." Other good places to check include folds in the mattress and the bed slats.

Not keen on waiting for them in the middle of the night? During the day, look for the bugs in pillowcases, nightstands and other furniture near your bed. Also check behind peeling wallpaper and in curtain folds. Remember: cracks and crevices, nooks and crannies.

Other Signs of Infestations

Pungent smell: A weird odor, smelling similar to coriander, means you have a massive infestation on your hands. Especially because the New York Times (which owns About.com), reports that the smell is “nearly impossible” for humans to detect.

Spotting: Dark black fecal spots on your sheets or near the cracks of furniture and apartment fixtures are another sign that you have bedbugs living with you.

Bug skins and dead bedbugs: You may find cast skins or those that have died.

Because it's costly to eradicate bedbugs, it's best to confirm an infestation with a live bedbug.

Sources: Harvard School of Public Health; "Everything You Need to Know About Bedbugs but Were Afraid to Ask" from the New York Times