The most certain and frequently last observed sign of a pest problem is seeing a bed bug. However, the appearance of bed bugs varies depending on their stage of development, making them readily confused for other insects.
Don’t be alarmed if you discover an insect on your bed.
Continue reading to find out how to spot those blood-sucking creatures.
So, how do bed bugs look to the untrained eye?
Bed bugs will seem as follows to the naked eye:
The adult bed bug resembles a tiny cockroach and is around the size of an apple seed, measuring up to 5mm in length. When not fed, it is light to reddish-brown in color and has an oval, flat body. Bed bugs have no insects, two antennae, and six legs that are shorter than their bodies. Each leg is around half the length of the entire body.
The bodies of both adults and nymphs swell, just like mosquitoes’ do after a blood meal. Depending on the bug, their size can expand by 1-2 times. Bed bugs require blood to survive and moult, which is why they prefer to congregate near people. Adult bugs are plainly visible around the mattress, box spring, and headboard.
Nymphs
After each moult, the small baby bed bugs, commonly known as nymphs, change color from translucent tan to opaque. Before reaching adulthood, they moult a total of five times. Nymphs are about the size of a sesame seed. Because of the digested blood, nymphs turn a bright crimson color when fed, making them easy to spot. However, because of their small size, an infestation is more than likely to go unnoticed for several weeks, allowing the bugs to thrive and reproduce.
Bed Bug Eggs
Bed bug eggs are pale and the size of a poppy seed, with an elongated capsule shape. Eggs can be seen with the naked eye in principle, but their small size makes it difficult to recognize them if you aren’t an expert. If you’re checking a room, bring a flashlight and a magnifying glass with you.
Because bed bug eggs attach to the surface they were placed on, vacuuming is not an option for removing them from a surface. Instead, try some of the other ways that have proven to be effective.
Is It Possible To See Bed Bugs At All Phases of Their Development?
Technically, yes; nonetheless, they are quite adept at concealment. This makes seeing the insects challenging, especially during the day when they aren’t as busy. You could wonder why they aren’t active. Because bed bugs prefer to remain hidden in order to avoid being squished by you. Instead of hunting for a specimen, concentrate your efforts on identifying the various symptoms of an infestation.
Finding any of these is a solid sign of a serious bed bug infestation.
How Do Bed Bugs Look On A Mattress?
The first place to look for evidence of bed bugs is in your bed and, in particular, your mattress. These are the places that are closest to their host, which is you. When you’re sleeping, bed bugs come out to feed, completely ignorant of your presence. They then leave a trail of proof of their existence. Examine your mattress and bedding for the following items:
- -Rusty or reddish marks formed by bed bugs that have been crushed;
- -Small dark patches the size of a pen mark that may bleed through to the cloth, similar to inc. Those are the excrements of bed bugs.
Inspect the nooks and fabric folds of the mattress for the following:
- -Eggs, eggshells, and cast skins left behind by nymphs when they moult:
- -Adult bed bugs as well as nymphs
Why aren’t bed bug bites always a sign of infestation?
Bites are one sign of bed bug prevalence, but they are far from conclusive. This is due to a variety of factors:
- Reason 1: A number of skin diseases might look it appear as if you’ve been bitten.
- Reason 2: Because some people do not react to bed bug bites, you may conclude that you do not have bed bugs if there are no signs of bites.
- Reason 3: Other insects leave itchy red spots that look similar to bed bug bugs.
To rule out a bug infestation, use the following strategy:
- -Make certain there are bites.
- -Look for a bug.
- -After that, see if it’s a bed bug.
If you’ve answered “yes” to all three, you should be concerned.
You May Also Like: How To Know If You Have Bed Bugs In Your House
Insects That Appear To Be Bedbugs:
It’s easy to be fooled by appearances. A number of insects have the appearance of bed bugs, so make sure to check for them before deciding on a treatment.
The following are some of the most frequent home bugs that look like bed bugs:
Booklouse
The booklouse nymph, in particular, has a remarkable resemblance to a young bed bug. Bed bugs are frequently mistaken for wingless species, and vice versa. These scavenging insects, on the other hand, are not parasites and do not feed on human blood.
Fleas
The only similarity between fleas and bed bugs is their thirst for blood; otherwise, they are completely different. For example, if you find a little insect sticking to your arm in the middle of the night, you might mistake it for a bed bug. Their nutrition, however, is the one thing they have in common. Unlike bed bugs, fleas are not parasitic on humans; they may bite you a few times, but their long-term victims are animals.
Bat Bugs
Bat bugs, on the other hand, are nearly identical to bed bugs, and the only way to distinguish the two is to examine them under a microscope. The bat is the bat bug’s primary host, but if they roam too far or the host is unavailable, they will feed on other warm-blooded creatures, including people.
If you’re still not sure if you’ve found a bed bug, trap it and show it to an experienced bed bug exterminator for an expert opinion.
You May Also Like: Where Do Bed Bugs Come From In The First Place?