Bed Bugs Pictures

"Bed bugs pictures can help identify bugs in your home or apartment. "Bed bugs vary in appearance depending on where they are in their life cycle. See the life cycle chart below and the accompanying bed bug photos and bedbug video from National Geographic.   

Bed bugs live for approximately 10 months and move through a life cycle from egg to adult. Infestations usually start with a female bed bug who would bite the host for blood upon arrival in the bed, and then for another "meal 2 weeks later.

At that point, she would lay eggs in the home at a rate of 3 per day. It takes 2 weeks for an egg to hatch. The just born nymph looks for food right away and becomes an adult bed bug in 4 months. The speed of reproduction and total life span is effected by room temperature and what is described assumes a room at 68F (20C). The adult bed bug lives for approximately 10 months, but can live without feeding up to a year if you decide to move to another room. A typical infestation has between 4 and 500 bed bugs.

If you are going to "do it yourself", the best way to remove an infestation is to buy a kit which contains a collection of products and zippered covers needed to 1) kill the bugs that you can see, 2) kill the bugs you can't and 3) protect against eggs you miss. Good choices include kits offered by  All Stop or Dermisil for Bed Bugs.  If you are looking for just a spray consider Sterifab, as it is mattress safe and will kill both bed bugs and their eggs. 

If your mattress is over eight years old and showing signs of wear you may consider replacing it. A memory foam mattress is more resistant to bedbug infestation because it does not use a box spring and has no seams or tufts where the bugs can hide.

See our guide for detailed instructions on eliminating bed bugs.

BedBug Video

National Geographic Bedbug Video

Bed Bugs Lifecycle

Source: Texas A&M University Bed Bug LIfecycle

Adult Bed Bug Pictures

As this picture of a bed bug shows, an adult bed bugs are approximately 1/4 inch to 3/8 inches long. After feeding on blood, the bug becomes a color that is a dull dark red. When the bugs are just born they have no color or look like a straw color.

Bed Bug Photo

Notice how flat adult bedbugs are.

Side View Bed Bug Photo

Source: University of Florida

Bed Bug Picture Comparison - Engorged and Not Engorged

In this picture the bed bug on the left hasn't fed on a host yet. The bedbug on the right is engorged with blood.

Bed Bugs Furniture Photo

Bed bugs tend to hide near the bed, with 80% - 85% of any infestation found near the mattress.  However, they can also hide in nearby furniture, particularly if they were dropped in the area.

Pictures of Bed Bug Eggs

Picture of Bed Bug Eggs on furniture including adult bed bugs and just born bedbug (nymph). Each bed bug (females) will lay approximately 3 to 8 eggs and up to 500 eggs over their 10 month life. Each egg is 1/25 inch and is curved. The bed bug will lay eggs in a sticky cluster. A bug will feed 24 hours after being hatched. Eggs will hatch between 4 and 12 days.

Photos of Bed Bugs Furniture Bed Bug Photo 

Here are two photos of bed bugs on furniture.

Photo of Bed Bugs and BedBug Eggs on Chair

Picture of Bed Bug on Skin

A bed bug only feeds on the skin for up to 10 minutes. One bug may make multiple bites. Each bed bug will feed every few days and then move back to their hiding place until they need to feed again as this picture of bed bugs shows.

Bed Bugs on Mattress Picture

Bed Bug Bite Picture

Bed bug bite pictures depict reactions that vary from person to person.  It can vary from having no reaction to having blisters form.  Most people will have no reaction, while others will develop a small wheal, which is small red inflamed circle that is clear in the middle.

Not Sure You Have a Bed Bug Problem?

Not sure you have a bed bug infestation? Trouble evaluating your problem based on these bed bugs pictures. One good way to evaluate a bed bug is to complete this form and send to to the Harvard School of Public Health, with a sample bug for evaluation. See this page for more bed bug photos or here for more bed bug pictures.

Remember that each bed bugs picture will be different from being a baby bed bug or nymph through adulthood.

Call a Bed Bug Exterminator

Bed bugs are difficult to exterminate. It's preferable to call in an expert who can confirm the presence of bed bugs, knows how to conduct a proper inspection, and who uses specialized equipment to treat the problem.  The bugs multiple quickly so be sure to act as soon as you think you have a problem..

Follow this link to locate a nearby bed bug exterminator from our list. Only use companies and representaatives of those companies that have specific expterise in treating bed bugs.

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