Not every bug that climbs into bed with you is a bed bug. We're not telling you anything you don't already know. We're sure you've had your share of encounters with house flies, gnats, spiders, crickets, ants, silverfish, cockroaches, and a whole lot more. But sometimes you find a bug that isn't so easy to recognize. Hopefully, this article will help you quickly figure out if it is a bed bug.
Bed bugs are small. Really small. They usually only grow to be about 4.5 mm. But you're not likely to see a grown bed bug in your home, unless you uncover an area of infestation. Adult bed bugs are much more cautious than immature nymphs. They will usually wait until the carbon dioxide level in a room rises, and it is completely dark before they venture out to feed.
Immature nymphs and adult bed bugs share similarities but are quite different in their appearance. When a bed bug first hatches it is mostly transparent and pale white in color. And, while it has six legs and two antennae, like adult bed bugs, it is only about the size of the tip on a pen, so you're really going to have to squint to see those legs.
While seeing a tiny, six-legged, pale bug in your bed, is a good indication that you have bed bugs, there is a chance an immature nymph may not look like this at all. These are transparent bugs. When they feed, they become bright red. If you find an immature bed bug in your bed, and it has recently had a blood meal, it will look like a red bug. But, bear in mind that it will only be its abdomen that is red. The rest of the bug will be pale.
As a bed bug develops, it sheds its skin (cuticle) and becomes more of a tan color. This tan color eventually becomes a brown color when the bed bug reaches adulthood but, even as an adult, it is still slightly transparent. When you see an adult bed bug that has had a recent blood meal, it will have a red tint to it. It will also have a swollen abdomen.
If you would like to keep bed bugs, and every other bug that crawls into beds, out of your bed, we can help. We are Pittsburgh's oldest and most advanced pest control company. Find out all of the many smart ways we help our customers keep their homes and businesses pest-free.