What do bed bugs look like?

Bed bugs have a very unique look, which makes them easily identifiable. They are reddish/brown in color, have no wings, and are about the size of an apple seed. Unfed bedbugs appear as a disk shape and tend to be brown in color. Meanwhile, a bed bug that has recently fed will tend to be more of an oval shape and red in color. The red coloring is due to the fact that it has just ingested blood.

Fed bed bug: elongated, oval-shaped
Unfed bed bug: flat, disk-shaped

What do bed bug bites look like?

Bed bug bites tend to have some common characteristics:

  • Raised bumps appearing in a linear or zig-zag pattern.
  • Bumps have a dark, red center that contains clear fluid.
  • Skin appears lighter in color around the bump.
  • Sometimes, bumps can appear in clusters.
  • They tend to be itchy and can be painful.

Further, bed bugs can leave traces of fecal matter, skin castings and eggs in cervices within sleeping areas.

Bed bug bites
Bed bug skin casting, feces, and eggs within a box spring

How to get rid of bed bugs:

Getting rid of bed bugs can be difficult. Bed bugs have developed a resistance to insecticides, so over-the-counter bug killers will not work on them. If an infestation is minor, some solutions could help:

  • Heat treatment: bed bugs die once their body temperature reaches 120 degrees. Use a steam cleaner to clean areas that are infested. Further, wash all clothing in linens in really hot water.
  • Freeze treatment: If items that cannot be washed are infected, you can freeze them until the bed bugs are dead.
  • Professional treatment: Professional exterminators use specialized chemical treatments that can kill bed bugs. Further, whole-house fumigation can be used to eradicate the problem.