What do bed bugs look like. How can you tell if you have bed bugs. What are the signs of a bed bug infestation. Which pests are often mistaken for bed bugs. How do bed bug bites differ from other insect bites.

The Resurgence of Bed Bugs: A Modern Pest Problem

Bed bugs, once thought to be eradicated in the United States, have made a significant comeback over the past two decades. The ban of DDT in the 1970s, while necessary for environmental and health reasons, inadvertently allowed these parasites to return and flourish. Today, bed bug infestations have become a widespread concern, making it crucial for everyone to understand how to identify and control these persistent pests.

Identifying Bed Bugs: Size, Shape, and Color

Bed bugs are small insects that can be challenging to identify due to their size and similarity to other pests. Here are some key characteristics to look out for:

• Size: Approximately the size of an apple seed
• Shape: Oval and flat
• Color: Adults are reddish-brown, while nymphs are lighter in color
• Legs: Six legs
• Wings: No wings

Are bed bugs visible to the naked eye? Yes, adult bed bugs are visible, but their small size and ability to hide in tight spaces can make them difficult to spot. Using a magnifying glass can help in identifying these pests more easily.

Common Bed Bug Lookalikes: Avoiding Misidentification

Several insects are often mistaken for bed bugs due to their similar appearance or habitat. Here are some common bed bug lookalikes:

1. Spider beetles
2. Carpet beetles
3. Booklice
4. Cockroach nymphs
5. Fleas
6. Ticks

How can you differentiate bed bugs from these lookalikes? One key distinction is that bed bugs cannot fly or jump, unlike some of their lookalikes. Additionally, bed bugs have a distinct flat, oval shape that sets them apart from many other insects.

Telltale Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation

Identifying a bed bug infestation early is crucial for effective control. Here are some signs to watch out for:

• Itchy bites on exposed skin, often in straight rows
• Small blood spots on bedsheets
• Musty or moldy odor in severe infestations
• Black and yellow specks (excrement and shed skins) around mattress seams
• Rusty stains on bedding or furniture

Can bed bugs be present without visible signs? Yes, in the early stages of an infestation, bed bugs can be present without leaving obvious signs. Regular inspections of bedding and furniture are essential for early detection.

Preferred Hiding Spots: Where Bed Bugs Lurk

Bed bugs are masters of concealment, often hiding in close proximity to their food source – human blood. Common hiding spots include:

• Mattress seams and tags
• Box springs
• Bed frames and headboards
• Furniture seams and crevices
• Curtain folds
• Electrical outlets
• Wallpaper and wall cracks

Why do bed bugs prefer these hiding spots? These locations provide darkness, proximity to humans, and tight spaces where bed bugs can squeeze their flat bodies into for protection.

Bed Bug Bites: Identifying and Understanding the Risks

Bed bug bites are often one of the first signs of an infestation. Here’s what you need to know about these bites:

• Appearance: Red, itchy welts similar to mosquito or flea bites
• Pattern: Often appear in straight rows of three or four
• Location: Typically on exposed skin like shoulders, arms, and legs
• Reaction time: Bites may not appear immediately and can take up to 14 days to manifest

Do bed bug bites pose serious health risks? While rare, bed bugs can potentially spread Chagas disease, a serious illness affecting the cardiovascular, digestive, and nervous systems. More commonly, bed bug infestations can lead to high histamine levels in homes, potentially aggravating allergies and asthma.

Bed Bug Feeding Habits and Lifecycle

Understanding the feeding habits and lifecycle of bed bugs can help in identifying and controlling infestations:

• Feeding frequency: Once every one to two weeks
• Feeding time: Primarily nocturnal, but can adapt to host schedules
• Lifespan: Can survive up to a year without feeding in cool conditions
• Reproduction: Females can lay hundreds of eggs in their lifetime
• Development: From egg to adult in about 37 days under favorable conditions

How long can bed bugs survive without a blood meal? In ideal conditions, bed bugs can survive for two to three months without feeding. However, in cooler temperatures, they can enter a state of dormancy and survive for up to a year without food.

Prevention and Control: Keeping Bed Bugs at Bay

Preventing bed bug infestations is crucial, as these pests can be challenging and expensive to eliminate once established. Here are some prevention tips:

• Inspect second-hand furniture thoroughly before bringing it into your home
• Use protective covers on mattresses and box springs
• Vacuum frequently, especially around beds and furniture
• Reduce clutter to minimize hiding spots
• Be cautious when traveling, inspecting hotel rooms and keeping luggage off the floor

What should you do if you suspect a bed bug infestation? If you suspect bed bugs, it’s important to act quickly. Thoroughly inspect your living space, focusing on bedding and furniture. Consider contacting a professional pest control service for a comprehensive inspection and treatment plan.

DIY Bed Bug Control Methods

While professional help is often necessary for severe infestations, there are some DIY methods that can help in controlling bed bugs:

• Heat treatment: Washing and drying infested items at high temperatures
• Freezing: Exposing infested items to extreme cold
• Encasement: Using special bed bug-proof covers for mattresses and box springs
• Diatomaceous earth: Applying this natural powder in infested areas

Are DIY methods effective against bed bugs? While these methods can help control small infestations, they may not be sufficient for large or widespread bed bug problems. Professional treatment is often necessary for complete eradication.

The Economic Impact of Bed Bug Infestations

Bed bug infestations can have significant economic consequences, affecting both individuals and businesses:

• Treatment costs: Professional bed bug treatments can be expensive
• Property damage: Infestations may require replacement of furniture and bedding
• Lost income: Time off work for treatment and recovery
• Business impact: Hotels and other hospitality businesses can suffer reputational damage

How much does bed bug treatment typically cost? The cost of bed bug treatment can vary widely, ranging from a few hundred dollars for minor infestations to several thousand for severe cases. Factors influencing cost include the size of the infested area, the severity of the infestation, and the treatment method used.

The Psychological Toll of Bed Bug Infestations

Beyond the physical and economic impacts, bed bug infestations can take a significant psychological toll on those affected:

• Anxiety and stress
• Sleep disturbances
• Social isolation
• Stigma and embarrassment

How can individuals cope with the psychological impact of bed bugs? Seeking support from friends, family, or mental health professionals can be helpful. Additionally, educating oneself about bed bugs and taking proactive steps to address the infestation can help regain a sense of control.

Global Spread and Resistance: The Challenges of Modern Bed Bug Control

The resurgence of bed bugs is not limited to the United States. These pests have become a global problem, with infestations reported in countries worldwide. Several factors contribute to their spread and the challenges in controlling them:

• Increased international travel
• Pesticide resistance
• Lack of public awareness
• Changes in pest control practices

Why have bed bugs become resistant to many pesticides? Bed bugs have developed resistance to many common pesticides through natural selection. Insects that survive pesticide treatments pass on their resistant genes to offspring, leading to populations that are increasingly difficult to control with traditional methods.

Innovative Approaches to Bed Bug Control

As bed bugs continue to evolve and spread, researchers and pest control professionals are developing new strategies to combat these resilient pests:

• Biological control using natural predators
• Pheromone traps for early detection
• Novel insecticides targeting specific bed bug vulnerabilities
• Integrated pest management approaches combining multiple control methods

What promising new technologies are being developed for bed bug control? One innovative approach involves the use of synthetic bean leaves that mimic the hook-like hairs found on natural bean leaves, which can trap bed bugs. Another promising technology is the development of bed bug-detecting dogs, trained to sniff out even small infestations.

The Role of Public Education in Bed Bug Management

Public education plays a crucial role in managing the bed bug problem. Increasing awareness can help in early detection, prevention, and proper treatment of infestations. Key areas of focus for public education include:

• Accurate identification of bed bugs
• Understanding bed bug behavior and biology
• Recognizing signs of infestation
• Proper inspection techniques
• Effective prevention strategies
• When and how to seek professional help

How can communities effectively spread awareness about bed bugs? Community-wide education initiatives, including workshops, informational materials, and school programs, can help raise awareness about bed bugs. Social media and local news outlets can also be valuable tools for disseminating information and dispelling myths about these pests.

The Importance of Collaborative Efforts in Bed Bug Control

Effective bed bug management often requires collaboration between various stakeholders:

• Property owners and managers
• Tenants and residents
• Pest control professionals
• Public health officials
• Researchers and academics

Why is collaboration important in bed bug control? Bed bugs can easily spread between units in multi-unit housing or between connected spaces. Coordinated efforts ensure that infestations are addressed comprehensively, reducing the likelihood of reinfestation and improving overall control outcomes.

The Future of Bed Bug Research and Control

As bed bugs continue to be a significant pest problem worldwide, ongoing research is crucial for developing more effective control strategies. Areas of focus for future research include:

• Understanding bed bug genetics and evolution
• Developing new, targeted pesticides
• Improving early detection methods
• Exploring biological control options
• Studying the environmental factors influencing bed bug populations

What potential breakthroughs could revolutionize bed bug control? Genetic research may lead to the development of gene-drive technologies that could potentially suppress or eliminate bed bug populations. Additionally, advancements in smart home technology could lead to automated early detection systems, allowing for rapid response to infestations.

The Importance of Continued Vigilance

Despite ongoing research and improved control methods, bed bugs are likely to remain a persistent problem for the foreseeable future. Continued vigilance and proactive measures are essential for managing these pests effectively. This includes:

• Regular inspections of living spaces
• Prompt reporting of suspected infestations
• Adhering to best practices for prevention
• Staying informed about the latest developments in bed bug control

How can individuals stay informed about bed bug prevention and control? Regularly checking reputable sources such as university extension services, public health departments, and professional pest control associations can help individuals stay up-to-date on the latest information and best practices for bed bug management.

What Do Bed Bugs Look Like & Pests They’re Often Confused With

Many children were once sent to bed with the short rhyme, “Good night, don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

For most, it was a silly saying that meant nothing. Bedbugs were eradicated in the 1940s in the United States and no longer a concern for many generations.

Unfortunately, the pesticide DDT was the method of eradication, and a ban of the dangerous chemical in the 1970s allowed the bedbug to return.

Over the last two decades, the parasites have spread and increased in number back to their full strength. Today, it is important for everyone to understand how to identify and control bedbugs.

Identifying Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are tiny insects that are the shape of an apple seed but slightly smaller.

The adults are reddish-brown, and nymphs are similar in appearance but even smaller and lighter in color.

The bed bug does not have any physical characteristics that make it unique, so it is easy to mistake it for other small insects like beetles and ticks.

Any place in a home can be a hiding spot for a bed bug, but they are usually found in mattresses and other soft furnishings.

Their tendency to take up residence in beds most often is how they got their name but bed bugs can hide in curtains, chairs, and carpets.

Severe infestations of the insect may even cause them to take up residence in wallpaper, cracks in walls or flooring or inside electrical outlets.

There are many insects that people commonly misidentify as bed bugs. Spider and carpet beetles, booklice, cockroach nymphs, and fleas and ticks are the pests most often mistaken as bed bugs.

The welts from a bed bug bite do not distinguish the creature either because the bites can look and feel like many other itchy bug bites. One way to rule out some lookalikes is how bed bugs move. The insect cannot fly or jump but does like to hitch rides on passers by.

Signs of Bed Bugs

The first signs many people notice of a problem are the itchy bites on their bodies that often appear overnight and small spots of blood on their bedsheets.

The blood stains may come from the bites but are usually the excrement left behind by the insects.

A musty or moldy smell may be noticeable, but this is usually not detected unless there is a large population of the insects.

A close look around the seams of the mattress may reveal black and yellow specks and more rusty stains.

The spots are excrement, shed skins and egg shells as well as the nymphs. The insects will hide in mattress seams as well as in folds of fabric on and around the bed. These are the first areas to look.

Where Bed Bugs Like to Hide

The most common place for bed bugs to hide is around a bed so they are near their food source. Bed bugs only consume mammal blood.

The bed bug type most commonly found in homes is the Cimex lectularius, and it prefers human blood, but will feed off other mammals to survive.

Bed bugs will move to another location if their current spot becomes too crowded or if their food source is not available.

The bugs can live for two months or more without a meal. If deprived of heat the metabolism of the insect will slow and allow them to survive for as long as a year without food.

Bed bugs may walk to another room in a house in search of a regular food source if their current source becomes unavailable. They can also climb into suitcases or hitch a ride on shoes or clothing to a different location.

The small size of the insect makes it simple for them to tag along unseen from hotels, on clothing in retails shops and nearly anywhere else.

Bed Bug Bites

The bites of the bed bug are usually in areas that are easy for them to access while a person is asleep.

Exposed skin like shoulders, arms and legs become the main targets. The bites are red welts that look like mosquito or flea bites.

One feature of the bites that stands out is that they tend to appear in straight rows of three or four welts.

Serious illness from a bed bug bite is rare, but it can happen. Bed bugs can spread Chagas disease.

It is a fatal illness that can affect the cardiovascular, digestive and nervous systems. The number of people infected in the United States has increased in the last few years.

A more common concern is the potential of the insect to sicken people with allergies and respiratory conditions.

Homes with bed bug infestations can have extremely high histamine levels and this can aggravate allergies and asthma.

Bed Bug Feeding

Bed bugs are mostly nocturnal, but their feeding habits can become a matter of convenience.

People that work a night shift can be bitten during the day when the insects are near. The bugs can bite several times in a night to become full but only feed about once every one or two weeks.

People that have only small numbers of the bugs in their homes may not experience new bites every night.

The bed bug finds a host through body heat as they are attracted to warmth as well as to the carbon dioxide found in exhaled air.

Carbon dioxide is an indicator of a living creature, so it attracts any parasitic insects looking for a fresh meal.

The insect finds a host, positions itself on bare skin and stabs through the skin with its beak. It will feed for approximately 3-12 minutes. If the host moves or otherwise disturbs the feeding the bug will stop, move slightly and begin to feed again.

This is one of the reasons why the bites are often in rows.

The allure of carbon dioxide to bed bugs has led to many DIY traps. The homemade traps, that typically include a yeast mixture, are not enough to lure the bugs because they don’t release more carbon dioxide than a human.

In an unoccupied room it may be sufficient to end a small infestation if the pests do not latch on to the person placing and checking the traps and move with them to a more populated area in the residence.

Stages of Bed Bugs

Females lay eggs that are about one-sixteenth of an inch in length.

The eggs are white ovals that take between 6 to 10 days to hatch. The nymphs feed on blood immediately after hatching and will molt five times before they reach adulthood.

Molting can only occur after a feeding. A female can lay eggs every day and can lay hundreds of eggs during her lifetime. Adults generally survive for about 2 to 6 months but can live a year or longer.

Favorable Conditions for Bed Bugs

Bed bugs flourish at room temperatures, around 70-degrees Fahrenheit, but can survive a wide range of temperature extremes.

Elevated temperatures of 118-degrees or higher kill adult and nymphs as well as destroy eggs. The heat must be constant for 20 minutes for adults and at least 90 minutes for eggs.

Temperatures below 0 degrees Fahrenheit can also kill bed bugs. We use a Cryonite machine which blasts the bed bugs with far below freezing temperatures to kill them on contact.

Bed bugs tend to go unnoticed until there is an infestation and the bites are impossible to ignore.

Although the pests like cluttered spaces because of the availability of hiding spaces, their presence is not an indicator of a dirty home.

Even spectacularly clean houses can become a hiding spot for bed bugs. Eradication is a challenge and common methods of removal, like the purchase of new mattresses, are rarely successful.

Professional pest control is the only effective method of removal. Now that you know what bed bugs look like, schedule an inspection as soon as possible if you’re dealing with a bed bug problem.

Things That Seems Like Bedbugs but Aren’t

Things That Seems Like Bedbugs but Aren’t

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What you think could be signs of bedbugs could actually be something else.

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• Just because you think you might have bedbugs doesn’t necessarily mean that you do.
• Though you likely have reasons for thinking that there are bedbugs in your bed or couch, you might actually be misinterpreting these signs as signs of bedbugs when, really, the problem is something else.
• However, if you have signs of bedbug bites, you might want to get your bed checked out, just in case.

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If you think you have bedbugs, chances are there’s a good reason for that. Maybe you’ve noticed strange marks on your body that you think could be bedbug bite, maybe you’ve seen what could be a bedbug in your bed, or maybe you’ve felt itchier than normal when you first wake up in the morning. But just because you think you have bedbugs doesn’t necessarily mean that you do. If you’re concerned about the potential of bedbugs, knowing what sorts of things you might be confusing for signs of bedbugs is definitely important.

You’ve found small bugs in the cracks and crevices of your home.

Other bugs are often mistaken for bedbugs.

wabeno/ iStock

Though you might think that finding bugs in other part of your house, particularly small “cylindrical-shaped insects,” might mean that you have bedbugs on your hands, that doesn’t necessarily indicate that that’s what you’re dealing with.

“German cockroach nymphs are often confused with bedbugs,” Dr. Sydney Crawley, PhD, a public health entomologist with Scotts Miracle-Gro, told INSIDER. “However, cockroach nymphs are more cylindrical in shape, and bedbugs are shorter and oval. Both of these insects are cryptic, live in harborages, and are most active at night… but cockroaches do not feed on humans and are usually found near food or moisture.”

So if they’re not in your bed or on the couch, that’s a good initial indicator that they’re likely not bedbugs, even if they look like they could be.

Your bites are around your ankles — and you also have a pet.

Bites just around the ankle is probably fleas.

anamariategzes/ iStock

It’s not necessarily super common for bedbugs to bite around your ankles, so if you really only have bites around your ankles and also have a pet, it could be another kind of insect that’s causing your problems.

Bill Horgan, the president of Debug Pest Control, told INSIDER that these are likely signs of a flea infestation, rather than an issue with bedbugs.

The bugs near your bed have wings.

Bedbugs don’t have wings.

porpeller/ iStock

If the bugs you’ve spotted have wings, that’s a good sign that you don’t have bedbugs — because bedbugs don’t have wings.

“Carpet beetles are often confused for bedbugs and may be found in the bedroom, but they have distinct wings,” Crawley said. “Additionally, their larvae look like caterpillars.”

Your bed looks completely clean.

Bedbugs leave lots of damage to your mattress.

pinkjellybeans/Shutterstock

If you suspect that you might have bedbugs, taking a closer look at your bed is typically going to be your next step. But if you take a closer look at your bed and you don’t really see much out of the ordinary, that’s another good sign that you might not have bedbugs.

“Bedbugs leave behind tiny blood stains or small black dots that look like mold or like black pepper sprinkled in the seams of your mattress or creases in the corners of your sheets,” Eric Hoffer, the owner of Hoffer Pest Solutions, told INSIDER.

If you’re itchy, but you haven’t spotted any of these sorts of things, bedbugs might not be the cause.

You’re simply itchy.

Lots of things can cause itchiness.

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There are tons of things that could cause itchiness beyond bedbugs, so while that might be an initial thought, it might not actually be the true cause. If you suspect bedbugs, however, you’re likely going to keep an eye out for actual bugs.

Hogan said that if you don’t see any bugs and haven’t traveled relatively recently, you may want to consider things like detergents, medications you may be taking, allergy issues, and more because one of those other things might be what’s actually causing the itchiness.

The bites are spread out, in places where you weren’t touching your bed, or in very small groupings.

Bedbug bites usually appear where you have touched the bed.

Wikimedia

When you’re dealing with bedbugs, you should expect large clumps of bites or bites where you were touching your bed, generally speaking. If you have bites that are spread out, in small groups, or in seemingly strange or random places, that might mean it’s not bedbugs after all.

“Although bites acquired during the night can point to a bedbug problem, it can also mean that you’re dealing with some other pests,” Karen Thompson of InsectCop.net, told INSIDER. “Anything from mosquitoes to fleas can leave bites while you’re sleeping. The trick is to pay attention to the spot where the bugs leave the bites as well as how the bites look. If the bites are near the place where your body meets the surface of your bed and they are in large clusters then you most likely have bedbugs.

“However, if you wake up with a few bites here and there or there are small groups of red, itchy bites on your body (clusters of no more than three or four bites) then more likely you’re dealing with either mosquitoes or fleas.”

The bugs look like bedbugs but aren’t in or super near your bed and you’re just not sure.

Flea (L) and bed bug (R).

Flickr/gailhampshire/AP/Carolyn Kaster

Just because the bugs look like what you’re expecting bedbugs to look like doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s what they are.

“Some insects look like they are small bedbugs that have fed on blood when they have not (e.g., spider beetles),” Crawley said. “It is normal to think you have bedbugs when you see something that looks so similar to a bedbug, and you maybe haven’t ever seen one in person and are basing your views on internet images.”

When in doubt, call in a professional, but if the bedbugs aren’t in or near your bed, couch, or other plush furniture, it might be something else.

Your bites are all on your lower body, backs of your knees, or inside your elbows.

Flea bites are more common on the lower half of your body.

PARNTAWAN/ iStock

Where you get bites can help you figure out if it might be bedbugs or not as well.

“If a pet has carried fleas into your home, they’re most likely living in your carpet — so they’ll bite the lower half of your body and aim for warm, moist areas like the backs of your knees or the inside of your elbows,” Hoffer said. “Bedbug bites are more common on the upper half of your body, around the face, neck, and arms.”

If you have pesky bites on your body, however, it might be a good idea to go to the doctor so that they can help determine what the cause may be.

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What house bugs look like and how to distinguish them from other insects

• By Wil Malinoshevsky
• About bedbugs

Our experience shows that a person living in the city and at least occasionally traveling abroad needs to know what bed bugs look like. If only because these insects may end up in his apartment and they must immediately be correctly identified and removed as quickly as possible. And even if the insects found in the house are not bugs, in order to understand this, you need to know what a home bug looks like.

Last instar bed bug nymph

Honestly, a person who has ever seen a house bug and knows that it is a bug will never confuse it with any other insect. Is it possible to know what, for example, an adult bug looks like, but be confused, not later identifying its own small nymph. And if you do not recognize the bug in the nymph, then you will not take the right measures in time, you will not start fighting them and give the bugs a chance to survive.

We had many cases when people mistook for bedbugs, for example, wood lice, grinder beetles, a couple of times people sent photos of larvae of kozheed beetles under the guise of domestic bugs – they do not look like bedbugs at all, but not knowing what bedbugs look like , people can even mistake such insects for them.

Therefore, it is enough to look at the video and photo of bedbugs at different stages of development in order to understand how they differ from other insects that can be found in the apartment, and then be able to recognize them at the first meeting.

What are house bugs

The most important thing and the first thing to start with: let’s define the concepts of what a house bug is in general. Strictly speaking, there is no biological species with that name. In common parlance, bed bugs are called bed bugs, the entire life cycle and reproduction of which occurs only in human housing. Of the several thousand bedbugs known to science today, only one species is capable of living and breeding in human housing in Eurasia, in particular, in Russia and Ukraine: the common bed bug, in Latin Cimex lecturarius. No other bedbugs live permanently in human housing. At least in the temperate climate of the Northern Hemisphere. Guard bugs can sometimes fly here, or soldier bugs, predatory bugs crawl in, but they are not able to live permanently and even more so breed in human housing.

So, we need to figure out exactly what bed bugs look like.

What bed bugs look like

The photo below shows a cluster of bed bugs:

You must have noticed some very characteristic features of the appearance of these insects:

1. Their body is strongly compressed dorsally, that is, from the back, but wide enough horizontally. Simply put, they seem to be flattened at the top;
2. Bed bugs do not have wings. This is a characteristic feature of domestic bed bugs – they do not need to fly, but at the same time they need the body to be as flat as possible and allow them to climb even into the narrowest cracks;
3. They have a simple and nondescript coloration. Adults are dark brown, older nymphs are also brown, but slightly lighter, and the smallest nymphs are generally pale yellow.

Here we see bedbugs in an enlarged form, with a strong approximation. Their real dimensions are 5-7 mm in length in adults and from 1 to 4 mm in length in nymphs.

Simply put, an adult bug is about the size of a small button and about the same, by the way, body shape, flat when viewed from the side and rounded when viewed from above. In the video below, you can well estimate the size of the bug relative to the finger:

The largest adult bug fits easily on the nail of the little finger of an adult. On this basis, it is easy to distinguish it from street stink bugs. They are larger and, at least, will not fit on the little finger.

This is the most general characteristic of bed bugs in general – size, body shape and color. But there are features of their appearance depending on their age and some other factors. Moreover, sometimes the same bug can differ from itself in different states so much that it can be mistaken for different insects.

Appearance of hungry and fed parasites

The most striking differences are noticeable between hungry individuals that have not fed for a long time, and individuals that have satiated.

At a minimum, bedbugs have translucent body covers, which, coupled with the lack of wings, makes the pumped blood in their abdomens very noticeable.

Simply put, a hungry bug is just brown, and a full one is already red, because this very blood is visible through the integument of its body. Moreover, if in adults the difference, although noticeable, is not so striking, then in larvae the body after saturation is greatly transformed. Before feeding, they are pale yellow, after feeding they are scarlet, similar to drops of blood with paws.

For example, look at a nymph who is just starting to drink blood – here she is yellow and translucent:

. ..and on her a few minutes later, after her entire intestines were filled with blood:

She is bright scarlet, not at all like herself a few minutes ago.

You probably noticed that after saturation, the belly of the bug stretched out a little in length. This is not an illusion, the way it is: due to the elasticity of the joints of the segments, the abdomen stretches when the intestines are filled with blood, which allows the bug to get the maximum amount of food in one bloodsucking. Since we are lucky to find a victim, we must take everything from it. As a result, a short, round and flat bug after saturation becomes long, elongated and swollen.

On the left – a hungry bug, on the right – full

By the way, it is very easy to crush him in this state, since such a blood-filled body is less durable than a flat and emaciated one. Therefore, sometimes people can crush bed bugs while tossing and turning in their sleep. And in the morning, noticing small blood stains on the sheets, they can understand that bedbugs live in their sleeping place or near it. And in general, if you simultaneously found some unfamiliar insects in the bedroom and a blood stain on the bed, then most likely these insects are bedbugs.

By the way, in hungry bugs that have not eaten for several weeks, the body becomes so flat that it looks like some kind of dry crust. In general, it does not seem that any organs can work normally in this torso. But normally, it rarely comes to such depletion: usually bedbugs have the opportunity to eat at a normal frequency for them, once every 2-3 days.

Mating hungry bed bugs

What bed bugs look like at different ages

The smallest nymphs differ slightly from adult bugs and from older nymphs. In an enlarged view, in a photo or video, with a strong approximation, they look like small yellow bugs, and when viewed with the naked eye, they look like small yellow spiders.

By the way, it is the nymphs of the first age that people with poor eyesight may not be able to see with the naked eye. The length of these nymphs is about a millimeter, and due to the yellow color of the body covers, they actually merge with the boards of the bed frame or with light bedding. But in any case, they are very different from adult, broad brown bugs.

Look at a hungry young nymph – you can see that her body is translucent and not at all as dark as that of an adult bug. In general, it is not very similar to a bug, and therefore it is precisely when such nymphs are found that people do not always recognize bugs in them.

That is, we have already found out that bedbugs can look somewhat different in different states and at different stages of their development. Let’s make such a subtotal of those shapes, sizes and colors of bedbugs that you may see in your house:

1. Adult hungry bug – flat, wide, brown, 5-7 mm long, similar to a dark button;
2. An adult well-fed bug is slightly swollen, wide, burgundy in color, the color of thick blood, elongated, its body has a slightly worm-like shape;
3. Older hungry nymph – similar to an adult hungry bug, only slightly smaller and lighter, light brown. After saturation, it looks like an adult well-fed bug;
4. Hungry nymph 2-3 instar – small, 2-3 mm long, flat, translucent, inconspicuous, pale yellow;
5. Well-fed nymph 2-3 ages, similar to a drop of blood with a head and paws, quite elongated in length;
6. The smallest nymphs of the first age, just emerging from the eggs. They are generally extremely small, hardly visible to the naked eye, although in principle they are noticeable, the shape of the body of which is generally difficult to identify.

If you see any of these insects in your apartment, then you should know that this is a house bed bug.

What is the difference between female bedbugs and males?

It is possible to distinguish between a female and a male only at the adult stage, that is, in adult insects. Nymphs of bedbugs are not children of people in whom all systems are formed and only grow as they grow up. Their reproductive system is fully formed only after the last molt, and only then it is possible to consider the differences between males and females.

Left is male, right is female

In females, the end of the abdomen is rounded and symmetrical, while in males, on the last segment of the abdomen, a copulatory organ is visible, which is turned to the left and looks like a kind of tip on the abdomen, which, due to its curvature, violates the symmetry of the abdomen. But in general, bedbugs do not have any radical differences between the sexes, if you do not specifically look closely, then these differences are not striking.

By the way, we are sometimes asked what the queen bee looks like. It doesn’t look like it because bed bugs don’t have a uterus. They do not have a social structure and some kind of hierarchy in which there would be a uterus, as the main breeding female, by analogy with ants and bees. All females of domestic bugs are the same, all teem in a common nest, all reproduce with the same intensity.

What a bedbug nest looks like

You can also see what the nest of house bugs looks like. The video below shows several of these nests on a sofa:

Again, a nest is not quite the right word to describe their places of accumulation, since a nest is more often understood as some kind of organized and to some extent equipped dwelling, if not as complex as a wasp nest or an anthill, then at least resembling a hole in crickets. Bedbugs do not have this, because they do not show themselves with any creative activity. But nevertheless, in the most suitable places they accumulate in large quantities, live here for a long time and such accumulations of them are clearly visible.

At a minimum, in these shelters there are a lot of bed bugs of different ages, and due to the large number of them, it is easy to notice them here. Here, in large quantities, there are skins shed during molting, the remains of dead insects, eggs and excrement. That is, all this accumulation is rather motley, nasty, and it is impossible to confuse it with anything else, since no other insects in such quantities accumulate in sleeping places and near them.

From experience, we say that most often they either do not notice at all, or they discover, but do not mistake the smallest nymphs for bedbugs. Firstly, they can literally hide in the narrowest fold or near the seam on the fabric, and secondly, they are so different from adult bugs that they are not considered bugs.

We often have clients who see these larvae and say they are not bed bugs because the bugs are supposed to be wide, round and brown. You need to understand that there should not be any insects in the room in general and especially on the bed, no matter how they look. And most likely it will be bugs that will live in a sleeping place, for which it is important to get to a sleeping person as quickly as possible. Therefore, if you find any insects on the sofa or bed, you must get rid of them as soon as possible.

Differences between different types of bugs

It is interesting that there are quite a few types of bed bugs, more than a hundred, and all of them are very similar in appearance and without special knowledge and special equipment, that is, it is almost impossible for a non-entomologist without a microscope to distinguish them. Of these more than a hundred species, only two can constantly live in a person’s housing, near his bed, and bite him, and almost a hundred others do not live near the bed and do not bite a person.

They are called bed bugs simply because the common bed bug was described as the first species in this family as a companion of man and a synanthropic species, and it got its name for its characteristic lifestyle and unique habitats. And he was singled out in a separate family, since he was noticeably different from other hemipterans.

Then, when scientists began to describe other species of the same family, but living in bird nests, in colonies of bats in caves, in rodent burrows, they were forced to call them bed bugs simply because of their biological relationship. It so happened that there are many types of bed bugs, they look similar, but most of them are not bed bugs in their way of life.

So, for example, the swallow bug that lives in the nests of swallows looks like:

And so – Cimex hemipterus, the second species in the family, which feeds mainly on human blood, but is found mainly in the tropics:

In fact, no one except entomologists needs to be able to distinguish between types of bed bugs. If bugs live in your house, it doesn’t matter what species they belong to – they must be destroyed immediately. But being able to distinguish them from other insects is sometimes useful, just in time to take the right measures to destroy them. Plus, in most cases, people want to know what bed bugs look like when they meet some kind of insect in the house, but they can’t figure out if it’s a bug or not. So, with whom can you really confuse bed bugs?

How to distinguish bed bugs from other insects?

Most of all, in terms of size and shape of the body, 3 types of synanthropic insects are similar to bugs, more precisely, to their nymphs, especially those that have been fed:

1. Book louse
2. Simple clothes louse
3. Red cockroach nymphs

But in fact, it is very easy to distinguish them from bedbugs.

The book louse is about the same size as 3rd-4th instar bedbug nymphs, about the same straw-yellow color as a hungry bedbug nymph, but has a slightly different body shape. The body of the book louse itself is elongated, spindle-shaped, not wide and not flat.

Book lice on paper

In shape, it may be somewhat similar to the body of a well-fed bug nymph, whose body is stretched in length from the blood, but such a nymph will be scarlet, and book lice are always yellowish. That is, a bedbug nymph cannot be yellow and elongated in length, the same as a book louse. It is either yellow and wide, or long, but red.

Plus, the book louse has a fairly large head relative to the entire body – larger than that of a bug nymph of the same size. That is, if you know what a bug larva looks like, it will be quite easy to distinguish it from a book louse.

We were sent photos of hay-eaters a couple of times asking if they were bed bugs. Hay eaters are similar to book lice, but differ in an even lighter color. And they differ from bedbugs in the same way as book lice.

Photo of a hay eater sent by a viewer of our channel

The body louse has an even more elongated body, almost white. When she sucks blood, she becomes somewhat similar to a small bug nymph, but she can be distinguished by the fact that she bites, usually under clothing, when a person is awake. Bed bugs rarely bite an awake person and do not get under his clothes.

Nymphs of red cockroaches are similar to adult bugs in body shape – they are also wide. But that’s where the similarity ends. Cockroach nymphs are almost black, darker than bedbugs, while lighter adult cockroaches are much larger than bedbugs, more slender and have wings. Plus, red cockroaches have a very characteristic recognizable pattern on the pronotum of two black stripes on a red background. Bed bugs don’t have them.

The bug cannot be confused with black cockroaches due to the significant difference in size.

Sometimes people confuse bedbugs with fleas. But this happens only when it is fleas that bite a person and he does not see them because of his poor eyesight. They often call or write to us and ask about bedbugs, and when we start asking how and when these alleged bedbugs bite, the person describes situations in which he sits on the couch, an insect climbs on his feet and bites, or gets into a car and they begin to bite him, sometimes even people call and tell how they are bitten on the legs in the garden. In all these cases, fleas are confused with bedbugs simply because fleas bite, and people know only bedbugs of all the insects that bite in the house.

In fact, if you consider an insect, then it is almost impossible to confuse a bug with a flea. They have absolutely nothing in common in appearance. Fleas are very small, 2-3 mm long, black, shiny, jumping very well. The bugs are larger, lighter in color, and cannot jump.

And once we had a situation where a person called and consulted about the fight against bedbugs, because he found small dark brown insects in the sofa. He has no bites, but he regularly finds insects in the sofa.

It seems to be a typical picture for infestation with bedbugs, when a person is insensitive to their bites.

But then, when they sent us a photo, it turned out that these were not bugs, but grinder beetles. They can be of different sizes depending on the species, with some being as brown as bed bugs, while others can be grey, green or even black. These beetles have a body that is not as wide as that of bedbugs, and they have wings and hard elytra. Bed bugs do not have wings.

furniture grinder

We are also regularly sent photos of larvae of kozheed beetles, which outwardly have nothing to do with bedbugs. It’s enough just to see once what a bug looks like, so that you never confuse it with such a larva.

Kozheed larva

Once we were sent a photo of a fake beetle for identification, asking if it was a bug. And the photo was sent from New York. A very interesting situation, because according to the main features, this beetle is really similar to a well-fed bug – it is dark brown, swollen, with a wide abdomen. But its main difference is the wings, which hide the segmentation of the body. That is, in a well-fed bug, transverse constrictions on the abdomen are clearly visible, but this beetle does not have them.

pretend beetle

It happens that people bring ticks on their clothes or on their bodies from a walk on the street, and do not know if it is a tick or a house bug. Everything is simple here: count his legs. If there are 8 of them, then this is a tick, if 6, then some kind of insect, perhaps just a bug.

And one more characteristic situation: in late summer and early autumn, street bugs often fly into apartments. These are stink bugs. They are not dangerous except for the fact that they smell very unpleasant when frightened. They differ very well from domestic bugs in the first place in size – they are 2-3 times larger than bed bugs, while they have normally developed wings and fly well. They do not hide in sleeping places, but on the contrary, they usually sit in plain sight, on windows and on curtains, crawl well and confidently along the walls. Moreover, they are not able to reproduce at home. Their coloration is not very noticeable, but clearly different from the brown color of the body of bed bugs. That is, it is quite simple to distinguish these species even for an uninitiated person.

So if you see some kind of insect at home, then look at it carefully, preferably through a magnifying glass, and if it is a bed bug, call the exterminators and call them right away so as not to delay their destruction and prevent significant reproduction.

If these are not bed bugs, you need to find out who they are, because in addition to bed bugs, many other extremely undesirable insects can settle in the house, and if this is exactly what happened, then you should also start exterminating them as soon as possible.

If you find any harmless aliens – calmly open the window and give them into the hands of gravity so that you don’t have any insects at home.

Order the destruction of bedbugs!

how they bite, where they start and how to get rid of them

Enlarged bed bugs: iStockPhoto

Bed bugs are blood-sucking insects. They start up where people live and rest. How to get rid of bedbugs, the author of thematic publications Kevin Carrillo knows.

What bedbugs look like and why they appear in the house

Bed bugs are microscopic insects from the Heteroptera suborder of the Hemiptera order. Entomologists distinguish more than 40 thousand species of bedbugs. Bed bugs (Cimicidae) have become the most unpleasant and dangerous for humans. They belong to the parasite family and feed on human blood, leaving painful bites on the body.

External signs of bed bugs:

• have a flat and wide body 3–5 mm long with clearly visible transverse constrictions;
• body color is uniform dark brown, and when the bug is hungry – light red;
• in front of the head there is a proboscis for piercing tissues and sucking blood;
• grippy feet (6 pcs.) help you move quickly on any surface.

Hungry bugs are very mobile and practically invulnerable. After saturation with human blood, the bed bug becomes round and less mobile. The body changes color from scarlet to black. By color, you can determine when the insect last fed.

House bugs are very active at night. Due to its light weight and tenacious paws, insects easily crawl along walls and ceilings. During the day, they hide in crevices, bedding, and electronics. Bed bugs congregate close to the food source in safe places where they are difficult to find and see. Visually, the places of their accumulation are detected by dark spots of excrement, eggs and insect skins. If you turn on the light at night, adults can be seen on light-colored bedding.

Where do bedbugs come from? Bed bugs can get into the house on the owner’s clothes or guests will bring it. Insects can “move” with furniture, crawl through the ventilation or along the walls from a neighboring apartment. At the same time, the bugs do not care whether the owners keep the house clean or not. They equally well take root in any sanitary conditions. The adult lives for 12-14 months.

How to get rid of bed bugs in the house: NUR.KZ

How bed bugs bite and what is dangerous

Bed bugs are blood-sucking insects and feed exclusively on blood. They need food to go through the full life cycle from egg to adult.

In the absence of food, the bug does not die immediately, but stays in a state of suspended animation for up to 1 year, but only at a cool temperature. They are attracted to warm-blooded animals by heat and carbon dioxide, which is released during respiration. They quickly move to another dwelling along the walls and ventilation in the house, if it is a question of survival.

How do bed bugs bite? In the dark, bedbugs crawl out of their shelters and attack a person, as a rule, at 3-8 in the morning. They pierce tissue with a proboscis in open areas of the body and suck blood. When a colony of bedbugs grows in the house, they break the night schedule and attack their prey even during the day. Smith’s Pest Management reports that a female bed bug can lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime. Within a few weeks after laying the eggs, the apartment will be occupied by bloodthirsty bug larvae.

The adult bug feeds once every 5-10 days, while the larvae need fresh blood every day. If there is no person nearby, bedbugs feed on the blood of domestic animals, birds, rats and mice. In rural areas, they can breed in the poultry house, and then crawl into the house.

Attacking the victim, the bug moves along the body, leaving behind a “path” of bites. The distance between bites reaches several centimeters. During the night, the bug can make up to 500 such bites. They itch a lot, and the bites turn red. Blood spots and insect excrement appear on the bed linen.

Bedbug bites are dangerous to humans. They can cause:

• intolerable itching;
• skin rash;
• allergic reaction.

Bed bug bite trail on back: iStockPhoto

Orkin writes that bed bugs carry pathogens, but have not been proven to carry disease. The bite of an invasive insect can cause a secondary infection if the bite site is not treated and combed until it bleeds. Infections are more common in children, people with suppressed immune systems, and the elderly.

At the initial stage of infestation of an apartment with bedbugs, not all family members have bites. Insects choose more delicate skin for proboscis puncture. When there are a lot of them, they begin to bite everyone indiscriminately.

Ways to get rid of bedbugs in the house

Treatment of bedbugs must be carried out throughout the apartment, otherwise it will not be possible to remove them. How to get rid of bed bugs? Use sealing, washing at high temperatures, freezing, treating the room and bedding with steam and fragrances to kill insects.

Sealing

Inspect every room in the house for crevices, cracks and openings where they meet the floor. Change the sockets in the house and re-paste the old wallpaper, under which insects can hide.

EPA Magazine recommends that all cracks be sealed using silicone sealant. The bugs will remain immured forever or crawl out, where they can be destroyed with a special tool.

Washing

Do bed bugs die after washing? Wash infested clothing and bedding in the hottest water (60°C) as advised by Kevin Carrillo, pest control specialist. If machine washing, set the timer for 30 minutes. For hand washing, pour boiling water over the linen, and then wash at a temperature of 30-40 ° C.

Dry the items in the dryer at the highest temperature allowed. Hang your laundry in the sun in summer. Heat treatment will destroy eggs and insect larvae.

Steam

Use a steamer to treat bed bugs. Steam the bedding from all sides – mattress, pillows, blankets.

How to get bed bugs out of a sofa? Vacuum the upholstered part of the sofa. Collect the dust in a sealed bag and take it out of the house. Steam the folds, curves, and wood frame of the sofa.

The steamer is on the bed: iStockPhoto

Freezing

How do I get rid of bed bugs? Minus temperatures will lead to the death of parasites. Use the freezer by putting things in there for 4 days. If it is at least -18 ° C outside, hang things on the balcony or outside, take out mattresses, pillows, sofas. To kill bedbugs, leave them in the cold for a day.

Flavors

What are bed bugs afraid of? Bedbugs are afraid of strong smells of perfume, ammonia, kerosene, aromatic oils, turpentine. Spray bedding with perfume or essential oils. Pour ammonia or turpentine into the crack. Place containers filled with kerosene under the legs of the bed. Carry out the procedure 1-3 times a week until the bedbugs are completely eliminated.

Combine different ways to kill bedbugs to get rid of them forever. If home remedies don’t help, use insecticides to completely treat the area.

Bed bugs in the house are difficult to detect immediately. They are destroyed by freezing and steam, sealing rooms and boiling things, using products with a strong odor. If you do not do this on time, insects will bring dirt, infection into the house and take away a restful sleep.