Knowing what bed bugs look like is the first step in identifying and controlling them. There are a variety of bugs that look similar to bed bugs (cockroaches, carpet beetles, etc.), so knowing how to differentiate them is important.
Adult bed bugs, in general, are:
- About the size of an apple seed (5-7 mm or 3/16 – 1/4 inch long).
- Long and brown, with a flat, oval-shaped body (if not fed recently).
- Balloon-like, reddish-brown, and more elongated (if fed recently).
- A “true bug” (characteristics of true bugs include a beak with three .segments; antenna that have four parts; wings that are not used for flying; and short, golden-colored hairs).
- Smelly, with a “musty-sweetish” odor produced through glands on the lower side of the body.
Nymphs (young bed bugs), in general, are:
- Smaller, translucent or whitish-yellow in color.
- If not recently fed, can be nearly invisible to the naked eye because of coloring and size.
Bed bug eggs, in general, are:
- Tiny, the size of a pinhead.
- Pearl-white in color.
- Marked by an eye spot if more than five days old.
Sources & additional references:
- Bed Bugs Appearance and Life Cycle
- Identifying bed bugs
- What Bed Bugs Look Like and Helpful Advice
- What Do Bedbug Bites Look Like?
- What Do Bed Bugs Look Like? Can You See Them?
- Bed Bugs Entomology
ESS Universal manufactures and supplies high-quality, cost-effective commercial grade beds, mattresses, and furniture to camps, hostels, shelters, dorms and more. View our entire line of furniture products including our popular waterproof foam mattress for institutional use, single metal bed frames, single over single bunk beds, single over double bunk beds, and triple bunk beds. Download our catalog for detailed information on our complete product line.
