If you’re wondering if the bug you’ve found in your bed is a bed bug, you’ve come to the right place. You’ve also come to the right place if you want to know what the signs of a bed bug infestation look like. These pests can cause trauma when they infest a home. But, if you know what they look like, and the signs they leave behind, you can get them before they get you.
What do bed bugs look like?
Bed bugs are an insect. So, you are likely to recognize the visual similarities they share with other insects: two antennae, six legs, and three body parts. It may be hard to distinguish between the head and thorax at first, but when you understand that the front pair of legs are attached to the thorax and the back two sets of legs are attached to the abdomen, it becomes a little easier. But, counting body parts is not likely the first way you’ll recognize this bug. Bed bugs have a unique horizontal banding that runs down their abdomen, making them quite distinguishable, even from a distance.
If you are looking at a bed bug that has not fed, it will have a
flat, oval abdomen, like in the picture on this page. But, after a
blood meal, these bugs look bloated and pill-shaped.
It is also important to note that the picture on this page might be
slightly deceiving. Bed bugs are not a big insect. They can be as
small as the tip of a pen or as large as a pea. But that is about
as big as they get.
What signs do bed bugs leave behind?
These pests are good at hiding and usually only come out when it is dark, which is why it is important to also recognize the signs they leave behind. If you missed the bed bugs that crawled on you while you were sleeping, you may notice blood staining on your sheets or pillow cases. This staining will appear red if it is fresh, and brown if it has had time to dry. You may also notice black streaks on your sheets, pillow cases, baseboards, outlet panels, or electronics in your room. Bed bugs sometimes leave these streaks of feces when they travel. You are also likely to see shed insect skins. Bed bugs pass through 5 stages (called instars) as they grow, and shed their cuticle layer each time.
What to do when you find bed bugs?
If you’ve found signs of bed bugs or these tiny blood-eating pests crawling around in your home, it is time to contact a professional. Bed bugs are resilient and resourceful bugs, and the methods used by many to control these trauma-causing pests has ended in tragedy.
If you live in Minnesota, you can trust Adam’s Pest Control to take care of those bugs. We are a nationally recognized leader in bed bug control and offer a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. That means you can know for sure that those bugs will be gone.
