Identifying bed bugs in your mattress necessitates a comprehensive examination. Begin by scrutinizing the seams, folds, and crevices for live bed bugs. These pests are reddish-brown, roughly the size of an apple seed, and may appear translucent if they haven’t fed recently. Look for dark, rust-colored fecal stains left behind by bed bugs, often clustered, appearing as small dots or streaks. Additionally, keep an eye out for shed exoskeletons—bed bugs molt and discard these as they mature. Should you wake up with itchy, red, clustered bites, especially in linear or zigzag patterns, it might indicate bed bug bites, though not everyone reacts to them. Lastly, be attentive to any unusual musty odors in the bedroom, as this distinct smell could signal bed bug activity.