What does a full bed bug look like

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Bed bug size changes at each life stage as shown below. A bed bug egg is 1/32" long.   Adult bed bugs size that has not fed will be about 3/16". After feeding the body swells and grows in length to about 1/5"  to 1/4".

Overview: What bed Bugs look like to the Naked eye

The following Bed Bugs pictures can help identify bugs in your home or apartment as well as any bites or symptoms on your body.  Bed bugs at all stages can be seen with the naked eye. When they hatch the insects are small, so a magnifying glass and flashlight can aid in the inspection process.

Bed bugs have a flat, oval-round body shape and have 6 legs.

When looking for bed bugs in the home, first realize that they follow a lifecycle. The insects start as an egg, move through infancy (called being an Instar or nymph), followed by adulthood (see life cycle chart below and National Geographic video).

In terms of skin reactions, it varies by person. Some people are not allergic to bed bug bites and will show no skin reaction. Others are highly allergic and will experience red skin bumps, irritation, and rash. Severe cases result in rashes.  See pictures below for examples.

Bed bugs live for approximately 10 months and move through a life cycle from egg to adult. Infestations usually start with a female bed bug who would bite the host for blood upon arrival in the bed, and then for another "meal 2 weeks later.

At that point, she would lay eggs in the home at a rate of 3 per day. It takes 2 weeks for an egg to hatch. The just born nymph looks for food right away and becomes an adult bed bug in 4 months. The speed of reproduction and total life span is affected by room temperature and what is described assumes a room at 68F (20C).

The adult bed bug lives for approximately 10-months, but can live without feeding up to a year if you decide to move to another room. A typical infestation has between 4 and 500 bed bugs.

Physical Appearance for Identification

Color:

Adults: Bright red after feeding, dull red if haven't fed. Baby bed bug (nymph) straw, yellow color

Size:

1/5" to 1/4", eggs 1/32"

Shape:

Oval with a flattened body. Antennae, small eyes.

Bed Bugs Lifecycle

Types of Bed Bugs Pictures

Bed bugs move through 5 developmental stages before they become an adult. They must eat a blood meal before they move from stage to stage. The insects shed their exoskeleton between each stage. It takes 37 days for a bed bug to move from egg to adult in ideal temperatures which is greater than 72 degrees Fahrenheit.. An adult will live for about 1 year and for only 70 days if living without food.  They can live longer in colder temperatures without a meal.

How do you get rid of bed bugs?

There are two ways to get rid of bed bugs, do it yourself, or our recommended method, which is to call an exterminator.

Why an exterminator? Bed bugs are the hardest insect to eliminate, even for a pro. They require up to 3 treatments to eliminate an infestation. A good place to start is with a call to a national network such as Home Advisor that can certify the skills of a local exterminator (or call 866-214-8380).

If you are going to "do it yourself", the best way to remove an infestation is to buy a kit which contains a collection of products and zippered covers needed to

1. kill the bugs that you can see
2. kill the bugs you can't
3.  protect against eggs you miss. 

Good reasonably prices choices and kits are offered by Bed Bug Supply. More than one type of spray is needed to kill bedbugs, which is why a kit is essential.

If your mattress is over eight years old and showing signs of wear you may consider replacing it. See our guide for detailed instructions on pest control for eliminating bed bugs.

Bedbug Video

National Geographic Bed Bugs Video

An army of bed bugs can attack a person 500 times in one night! See these insects in action.

Adult bed Bugs Pictures

As this picture of a bed bug shows, adult bed bugs are approximately 1/4 inch to 3/8 inches long. After feeding on blood, the bug becomes a color that is a dull dark red. When the bugs are just born they have no color or look like a straw color.

What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?

Bed bug photo - Flat view

Side View

Picture of Bed Bug on Skin

A bed bug only feeds on the skin for up to 10 minutes. One bug may make multiple bites. Each bed bug will feed every few days and then move back to their hiding place until they need to feed again as this picture of bed bugs shows.

Bed Bugs Images - Engorged and not Engorged

In this picture, the bed bug on the left hasn't fed on a host yet. The bedbug on the right is engorged with blood.

bed bugs furniture photos

Bed bugs tend to hide near the bed, with 80% - 85% of any infestation found near the mattress.  However, they can also hide in nearby furniture, particularly if they were dropped in the area.

Couch

Furniture Fabric

Chair

Bed bugs mattress pictures

Bed bugs usually climb up bed legs or a headboard. They are attracted to the carbon dioxide exhaled by humans when breathing. Hiding spaces such as mattress seams are convenient ways to stay close to a human source for their next blood meal.

Picture of Bed Bug eggs on furniture including adult bed bugs and just born bedbug (nymph). Each bed bug (females) will lay approximately 3 to 8 eggs and up to 500 eggs over their 10-month life. Each egg is 1/25 inch and is curved. The bed bug will lay eggs in a sticky cluster. A bug will feed 24 hours after being hatched. Eggs will hatch between 4 and 12 days.

Egg Shells

Bed Bug Bite Pictures

While bed bugs will bite anyone, they only leave red, irritated skin reactions on people that are allergic to the bites. This is why two people sleeping in the same bed can experience no symptoms, or only one of the two people will see symptoms.

Not sure if you have a bed bug problem?

Not sure you have a bed bug infestation? Trouble evaluating your problem based on these bed bugs pictures. One good way to evaluate a bed bug is to complete this form and send to the Cornell Diagnostic Lab, with a sample bug for evaluation. See this page for more bed bug photos or here for more bed bug pictures.

Remember that each bed bugs picture will be different from being a baby bed bug or nymph through adulthood.

Call a bed bug exterminator

Bed bugs are difficult to exterminate. It's preferable to call in an expert who can confirm the presence of bed bugs, knows how to conduct a proper inspection, and who uses specialized equipment to treat the problem.  The bugs multiply quickly so be sure to act as soon as you think you have a problem.

Start by either getting a free quote from a reputable company like Home Advisor (call 877-673-2704 or check our list for a local bed bug exterminator near you.  Only use companies and representatives of those companies that have specific expertise in treating bed bugs.

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What Other Visitors Have Said About Bed Bugs

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Brochures

Free brochures for download with additional  bed bugs pictures and information.

Bed Bug Problems

Guide to solving bed bug problems.

Written by: Michigan State Community Health Services

Available in a free

Ebook

Learn More About Bed Bugs

Bed Bugs: Get Them Out and Keep Them Out (U.S. EPA)

Federal Trade Commission

Common Comprehensive Bed Bug Prevention Techniques

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