How to identify bed bugs

It is very important to be able to distinguish bed bugs from other insects, since treatment options and costs may be very different, but people often mistake other bugs for bed bugs..

Adult bed bugs can be easily seen with the naked eye. They are reddish-brown in color and are approximately ¼ inch in length. Although they can move swiftly across horizontal and vertical surfaces, they don’t fly or jump. Unfed bed bugs resemble small flat disks, but after consuming blood they grow approximately 3 to 4 times larger. When fully fed, they are shaped like a torpedo with an elongated, brightly colored trunk.

A female bed bug can lay a few hundred eggs in her lifetime, but these are not deposited all at once; regular feeding and mating are required.

Eggs

Nymphs

Adult Bed Bug

Cast Skins

Blood Stains

Fecal Spots

The physical signs of bed bugs

Although bites can be a strong indication of bed bugs, they are not the best way to conclusively identify whether you have bed bugs. Bed bugs leave other signs that must be found to determine whether you have an infestation. When inspecting for bed bugs, keep a look out for these other signs:

Fecal Stains (Poop) - Bed bugs leave fecal (poop) droppings and stains. The larger the infestation, the more stains and droppings you’ll find. They appear as tiny “ink dots,” such as from a black marker or pen, and can be found just about anywhere.

Cast Skins - When bed bugs grow out of their skins, they leave the old ones behind. These normally look like paper-thin, opaque duplications of bed bugs.

Blood Spots - In addition to bite marks, you may find rusty-colored blood spots on your sheets, furniture, and surrounding walls.

Peculiar Odor - You may notice a peculiar, rusty sort of odor. It comes from the bed bugs’ defecated blood and the oxidized iron in the digested blood. Odors are usually associated with bigger and longer bed bug infestations.