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Your Bed Bug Identification Guide.

Bed Bug ID Guide - Blog

If you have ever had bed bugs then you can agree, it can be a very distressing experience! So, what if you have never had bed bugs before and waking up with bug bites is all new to you, now what? First things first, don’t freak out! Let’s figure out exactly what you are dealing with. We are going to show you what a bed bug looks like and what bugs can be mistaken for bed bugs. Let’s go!

What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?

Bed bugs are small, wingless insects that feed on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded animals. They have an elongated, oval-shaped body and are usually a reddish-brown color. Bed bugs have six legs, two long antennae, and a pair of small, piercing mouthparts and are about the size of an apple seed.

Bed Bug Up Close
Bed Bug Up Close
Dead Bed Bugs
Dead Bed Bugs
Bed Bugs on a Mattress
Bed Bugs on a Mattress
Bed Bug Fecal Matter

Do I Have Bed Bugs?

Determining whether or not you have bed bugs is going to be key in terms of getting rid of them! There are a couple of other pests that can be confused for bed bugs. Check them out:

Carpet-Beetle-Types-Blog
Carpet Beetles
Flea
Flea’s
Cockroach
Cockroaches
Carpet Beetles
  • Round
  • Solid to irregular coloring
  • 1/5 in. long
  • Short antennae
  • Hard outer shell
  • Don’t bite
Fleas
  • Dark reddish brown
  • Enlarged hind legs
  • 1/8 in. long
  • Flat body
  • Excellent jumpers
  • Do bite
Cockroaches
  • Dark brown to reddish
  • Oval in shape
  • 1 1/5 – 2 inches long
  • Immature cockroaches look similar to bed bugs.
  • Don’t bite

What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like?

Is there a pattern to your bites or are they random all over your body or are they just on your ankles and feet? Taking a good look at your bites can also help you to determine whether or not you have bed bug. Bed bugs tend to feed on the part of the body that is touching the mattress or whatever you are sleeping on. So you will notice in this picture, the bed bug bites are lined up in a row along the back, where this person had been laying on the mattress.

Bedbug bites on back lying in bed
Bed Bug Bites

Flea bites for example, tend to be mostly around the feet and ankles. Most of the time, you can see the fleas when they are on you or catch them when they are biting you. Bed bugs tend to be more elusive, and you really don’t notice them too much until they become an infestation.

Flea Bites on Ankle
Flea Bites on Feet and Ankles

Still Not Sure?

Are still not sure whether or not you have bed bugs? HowToPest.com can help. You can call our expert technicians and they can help you determine your pest and give you a plan of action to get rid of them! Our best advice is not to wait! Bed bugs can spread very quickly and be a lot more work than you expect!

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