Identifying Bed bugs

Bed bugs are tiny, oval-shaped insects with two antennae and six legs (three on each side). Their legs bend forward, although in pictures they often appear to have curled up legs as this occurs once they die.  Bed bugs color will vary depending on whether they have fed or not; they will be brown if they have, or translucent otherwise. Once bed bugs have fed they pose a greater risk, as they may be getting ready to lay eggs.

Bed bugs also have egg-shaped bodies, which differentiates them from similar sized beetles and other pests.

Characteristic bent legs

Adult bed bug bodies

Bed Bug Eggs

Bed bug eggs are sticky, adhering to surfaces such as the edge of mattress seams. They are 2.5mm (0.1″) long and are usually white or semi-transparent. Once laid they take approximately a week to hatch. Over the course of a lifetime, a female bed bug will lay approximately 500 eggs, which allows bed bug infestations to quickly grow and spread.

Identifying bed bug eggs

Different Life Stages

Once you have found bed bugs they are easily identified. Most bed bug eggs are slightly over the thickness of a quarter. After they have hatched, bed bug nymphs or juvenile bed bugs will be approximate the size of a bed bug egg, up to the size of full adult bed bugs at approximately the size of an apple seed. This corresponds to 4.5mm (about 3/16 of an inch). Click on the below picture to see a large representation of bed bugs, throughout all their life stages.

Bed bugs scale – all life stages

Posted by Rose Eckert-Jantzie