Chapter 2

What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?

Now that you know a bit more about this bad creature, it is time to learn more about what they actually look like.

You will find several pictures located here to help you, but it is important to read the necessary information about them as well.  Bed bugs are commonly mistaken for other pests in the home.  Or, you may think that you have bed bugs in your home when you actually do not but have some other pest lurking there.

If you plan to treat bed bugs, you need to have proper identification of these insects.  Here are some key points to help you to identify them.

• In their adult stage, they are brown to a reddish tint of brown.
  
  
• They are an oval shape but they are also flattened out.
  
  
• In size, the adult bed bug is about 3/16 to 1/5 of an inch long.
  
  
• When they have just had a meal, the bed bug is swollen looking. They will be longer now and have a dark red color to them.
  
  
• On the front of their heads, they have what looks like a beak that allows them to pierce and suck from their mouths.
  
  
• Adult bed bugs do have wings.  These wings do not allow them to fly, though. They are small in size and are very short looking.
  
  
• The eggs of bed bugs are white or colorless.  They will darken in their color as they mature. They will eventually have a brownish tint to them when they are mature.
  
  
• The nymphs look a lot like that of the adult bed bugs in their appearance, just at a smaller size.

They Look Like Others

Bed bugs are commonly mistaken for other bugs that are in the same family, (Family Cimicidae) or in a closely related one.  They are often confused with Cimex adjunctus, which are bat bugs or with Cimexopsis spp which are chimney swift bugs.  The swallow bug, Oeciacus spp is also confused with bed bugs quite often.

Often the only way to know if a bug really is a bed bug is to have a professional look at it.  A microscope is used to determine if the pest has the tell tale characteristics of a bed bug, as we have mentioned above.  It is often necessary for a skilled entomologist to do this type of investigation as most can not tell the difference from these creatures listed to the bed bug. 

Pictures

Here are some pictures of bed bugs that can often be used to help distinguish the look of a bed bug:

Here is a picture of a bed bug.  In this picture, the bed bug has not eaten and therefore has it’s tell tale flattened look about it.

In this picture, you can see the size difference between a bed bug that has eaten and one that has not.  As they eat, they become elongated.  They are also swollen and are therefore thicker.

In the following picture, take the time to notice what the bed bug looks like in various stages of its life.  The bed bug is commonly found in the same area at all these stages.  If you have adult bed bugs, you will also have eggs.  This is what makes it hard to treat the bed bug, because as you may kill off the adults, the eggs may still be present.

The Life Cycle Of The Bed Bug

In this final picture, you can see just how small a bed bug really is.  This will show you just how hard it can be for you to notice that they are there.

Remember, though, that it is quite hard to really tell if a pest that you find in your home is actually that of a bed bug.  For example, if you live in an area that may have several of these closely related species; you may find out that you do not have bed bugs after all.

For example, if you live in the Midwest of the United States, you may think that you have found bed bugs in your home.  But, it is much more likely that you have found a bat bug instead. 

If you suspect that you may have them, contact a local inspector to help you to identify them. 

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