What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?

The shed skin and fecal matter often looks like a series of dark specks on mattresses or upholstery.

Rusty or reddish smears on your sheets are another sign: this is the result of bed bugs you've crushed as you've rolled over in your sleep.

But these signs will be small: usually each individual one is about as large as a period.

What do bed bugs look like? They do often appear in clusters, which can make them a little easier to find.

If you directly spot a bed bug, you'll see a small, oval-shaped bug with prominent eyes.

It will be copper brown, the color of a penny.

It may look flat or swollen, depending on how recently they've fed.

What do bed bugs look like? They will also have antennae, segmented into 4 parts.

Eggs are no bigger than a speck of dust.

They're white and so almost impossible to find on any light-colored furniture or surfaces.

Professionals usually have to use some sort of magnifier to spot them at all.

Eggs are also sticky, adhering stubbornly to just about any surface you'll find them on.

Nymphs are even harder to see than bed bugs.

They're translucent and all but colorless.

If you see one just after a feeding, you might see a small red spot inside their bodies.

What do bed bugs look like? They have the same flat bodies as adult bed bugs, swelling only after a feeding.

No. All bed bugs crawl.

They don't fly or jump.

They just rarely crawl around where you can see them if you don't go looking for them.

What do bed bugs look like? Bed bugs have a lot of look-alikes. These include carpet beetles, book louse, spider beetles, and fleas. How can you tell the difference?

Fleas share common coloration with bed bugs, but have powerful hind legs for jumping. Bed bugs simply crawl. They're also usually easy to spot in a pet's hair once you go looking for them. Bed bugs will never be found crawling around on your pet. You'd be more likely to find them in the creases of your pet's bed, waiting to feed on them when your dog or cat is asleep.

Carpet beetles are usually black. When they're not black, they have mottled coloration: brown, white, yellow, and orange. They also feed on fabrics, not people.

A book louse has a large abdomen and head, and it's not flat at all. They're pale brown or whitish. Some have wings, some don't. They also prefer to feed on dying plants, mold, fungi, and old paper.

As the name implies, spider beetles look a lot like spiders. They have long legs and huge abdomens. Their abdomen are usually big, swollen globes, and they tend to be shiny. The range in coloration from red-brown to black. Unlike a spider, they have six legs, not eight. They like to eat dried pantry goods, and that's usually where you'll find them if you spot them at all.

It usually takes a professional to find and spot bed bugs unless there's a large infestation.

If you have spotted one, it's a sign that there are hundreds more somewhere in your home.

If that's the case, it's wise to get help immediately. Infestations won't go away on their own.

Both nymphs and adults can go for nearly a year without feeding. Thus, they'll continue to grow, lay eggs, and spread until they're stopped.