How to Identify a Bed Bug Infestation

In order to properly deal with bed bugs, you first have to educate yourself on how to identify an infestation. Until recently, when bed bugs began to make a comeback in the United States, most people had never seen one. Before you can recognize a bed bug infestation, you have to be able to distinguish bed bugs from other insects.

Bed bugs are flat, rust-colored bugs about the size of an apple seed in their adult form. They don’t have wings so they can’t fly, but they do have six legs that allow them to move quickly. Juvenile bed bugs are clear and only about 1mm. If they have recently fed, they can appear bright red until the blood they consumed digests.

Until they eat, bed bugs’ bodies are very flat. This attribute allows them to slip into the skinniest of hiding places and go undetected by the untrained eye. After feeding upon a host, bed bugs look starkly different, with bloated, dark red bodies. Their eggs are white and pear-shaped, about the size of a pinhead. The eggs are usually found in clusters of 5 to 10. Once the bed bugs hatch, the new bugs will be clear in color until they have their first meal.

Recognizing these creatures before they have had time to invade your whole house will save you lots of time, money and headaches in the future.