Bed bug size changes at each life stage as shown below. A bed bug egg is 1/32" long. Adult bed bugs size that has not recently fed will be about 3/16". After feeding the body swells and grows in length to about 1/5" to 1/4".
Bed Bugs Actual Size at Each Life Stage
Comparison of Bed Bugs Before and After Feeding at Every Life Stage
Bed Bug on Human Thumb
Bed Bug Lifecycle Pictures (Eggs to Adults)
Bed bugs move through 5 developmental stages Instars). They must consume a blood meal to molt and move to the next stage.
Bed Bugs Life Cycle From Egg to Adult
Bed bug life cycle diagram showing egg to adult timeline
Close-up View of Bed Buy Nymphs (Baby Bed Bugs)
Young bed bugs are translucent. Note the bright red color in the pictures below—this is visible fresh blood inside the bug.
Magnified Picture of a Bed Bug Nymph (Young or Baby Bed Bug)
Engorged Nymph After Blood Meal
Bed Bug Hatching from Egg(UNL)
Pictures of Baby Bed Bugs
Adults- Male vs. Female
Female bed bugs are typically broader and more rounded at the rear of the abdomen, while males are slightly slimmer with a more pointed, tapered abdomen tip. The difference is subtle and usually easiest to see when comparing two adults side by side.
Close-Up Pictures of Adult Bed Bugs
Bed Bug Dorsal View
Engorged with Blood After Feeding on Host (left-A) and Not Engorged (Right-B) Bed Bugs Pictures
Magnified Top View of Bed Bug
Profile: Flat vs. Engorged (Side View)
Bed Bug Front View Showing Flat Body Profile
Bed Bug Side View Showing Flat Body Profile
Picture of Bed Bug Biting 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 Bug Biting Skin
Bed Bug Bites vs. Mosquito & Flea Bites
Unlike mosquito bites, which appear as random, puffy isolated welts, bed bug bites often appear in a distinct line or zigzag pattern (often called "breakfast, lunch, and dinner"). Flea bites typically cluster around the ankles and lower legs, whereas bed bugs tend to bite exposed upper body areas like the neck, arms, and shoulders while you sleep.
Bites - The "Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner" Pattern
In terms of skin reactions, it varies by person. Some people are not allergic to bed bug bites and will show no skin reaction. Others are highly allergic and will experience red skin bumps, irritation, and rash. Severe cases result in rashes. See pictures below for examples. For more examples on different skin types, read our detailed guide on bed bug bites symptoms.
Bites often appear in a straight line or zigzag pattern. Reactions range from small red dots to itchy welts.
Cluster of bed bug bites on torso.
Severe Reaction: In rare cases, bed bug bites can cause fluid-filled blisters (bullous reactions).
Signs of Infestation (Mattresses & Furniture)
Bed bugs hide in mattress seams, box springs, and furniture crevices. Bed bugs tend to hide near the bed, with 80% - 85% of any infestation found near the mattress or bed frame. However, they can also hide in nearby furniture, particularly if they were dropped in the area.
Look for bed bug poop (fecal stains) on your sheets and mattress. These appear as tiny black dots, similar to a marker tip touching the fabric. Unlike blood stains which are rusty-red, bed bug feces are black and will smear if wiped with a wet rag.
Look for these signs:
Bed Bugs Hiding in Mattress Seam (Magnified View)
Close-up of Bed Bug Blood and Fecal Stains on Mattress
Look for: Live bugs in piping.
Look for: Black ink-like spots (feces).
Look for: Molted skins (translucent shells).
Bed Bug Fecal Smears and Blood Stains on Mattress
Bed Bugs On Mattress (Actual Size)
Pics of bed bugs molted skins on the mattress surface. One way to confirm an active bed bug infestation is to identify actual bed bugs on a mattress
Bed bugs can even hide in appliances like refrigerators if they are close to the bed.
Furniture
Bed Bugs on Surface of Couch University of Kentucky
Bed Bug Eggs, and Insects Hidden on Couch
Bed Bugs on Chair Fabric
Bed Bugs in Luggage & Backpacks
Bed bugs are hitchhikers. This picture shows a bed bug hiding in a backpack seam, common in college dorms and travel.
Check backpack seams, a common way bed bugs spread in dorms and travel.
Common Questions: Hair & Smells
Do bed bugs live in your hair?
No. Unlike lice, bed bugs lack the claw structure to cling to hair follicles. They prefer stationary hiding spots like mattress seams and only move onto skin to feed.
What do bed bugs smell like?
Large infestations often have a distinct, sweet, musty odor, frequently described as smelling like rotting raspberries, coriander, or old damp towels.
Bugs That Look Like Bed Bugs
Feature
Bed Bug
Carpet Beetle
Cockroach Nymph
Shape
Flat, Oval (Apple Seed)
Round, Dome-like
Cylindrical/Long
Color
Reddish-Brown
Mottled Brown/White/Orange
Tan/Dark Brown stripes
Bites?
Yes (Blood meal)
No (Eat fabric)
Rarely
Swallow bugs have longer hair than bed bugs.
Bat bugs and bed bugs look almost identical, but bat bugs have noticeably longer, more visible body hairs that can make them seem slightly “fuzzier,” especially along the edges behind the head. Without magnification, the two are often impossible to tell apart by appearance alone.
Carpet beetles are rounder and do not bite
Spider beetles are rounder and more “humpbacked,” with long legs and often a shiny, reddish-brown look that can resemble a tiny spider, while bed bugs are flat, oval, and apple-seed-shaped with a clearly segmented abdomen. Unlike bed bugs, spider beetles don’t have the wide, flattened body profile that becomes especially obvious when viewed from the side.
How Do You Get Rid of Bed Bugs?
There are two ways to get rid of bed bugs, do it yourself, or our recommended method, which is to call an exterminator.
Why an exterminator? Bed bugs are the hardest insect to eliminate, even for a pro. They require up to 3 treatments to eliminate an infestation. Call 866-214-8380 for a local exterminator referral. Be sure to ask for a guarantee.
For severe infestations, we recommend finding a local bed bug exterminator. Why an exterminator? Bed bugs are the hardest insect to eliminate, even for a pro. They require up to 3 treatments to eliminate an infestation. Call 866-214-8380 for a local exterminator referral. Be sure to ask for a guarantee.
Bedbug Overview Video
National Geographic Bed Bugs Video
An army of bed bugs can attack a person 500 times in one night! See these insects in action.
Questions and Answers
Ask a Question or Share Your Bed Bug Experience With Others
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What Other Visitors Have Said About Bed Bugs
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Finding and Getting Rid of Bed Bugs Bed Bugs Handbook Reader Question
Ten days ago I was bitten by a bed bug while sleeping. I know it was a bed bug because it woke me up and I found …
Eliminating Bed Bugs Yourself Reader Question: I am on disability with VERY limited resources. Is it possible for me to eliminate a bed bug problem myself?
Do I have bed bugs? I received a brand new Sunbeam electric blanket for Christmas. When I laid it on my bed I found a dead adult bed bug in the center of it. I immediately …
Bed Bug Hospital Problem I was at the hospital with my daughter. I noticed that there was a bug on the bed. I got it off the bed and then looked at my daughter's leg.
There …
Do I have bed bugs? Well a few days ago I had these strange red marks on my arm. Just this morning I had a couple more bumps. I've checked the bed, but I haven't found anything...even …
Heat Kills Bed Bugs! I'm a US service member stationed in Germany. I've lived here several years without problems. My wife and two children started getting bites all over, …
Have Bed Bugs But No Bites When my husband and I first moved into our appartment we were sleeping on two twins beds. Now I am 4'10" and my husband is 6'2". And this bed was not working …
Bedbugs Have Taken Over! Please HELP!!!! Not rated yet OMG! I have bedbugs now it's terrible. I have a low-income and am struggling. I have destroyed my bed and I have bombed and sprayed these little suckers. …
Hotel Bed Bugs Nightmare!!! Not rated yet I stayed at a hotel last night...the banff trail hotel, cheap place but I woke to a feeling on my feet.
Here I had a bite on each foot and on my wrist. …
BED BUG HORRIA Not rated yet I GOT BITTEN ALL OVER BY BED BUGS WHILE STAYING @ BELMONT INN IN METROPOLIS, IL FOR WEDDING. I BROUGHT THEM HOME IN ALL MY LUGGAGE AND CLOTHING. I HAVE …
Do Bed Bugs Have Hair on Their Body? Not rated yet I have had a previous infestation and i think they are back for more.. i found one today and it has some long hairs attached to the end of there blood …
How to Bed Bugs Choose Where to Bite on the Body? Not rated yet How Do they find a particular place on your body to feed on? Mine only got me behind my arms, nowhere else.
Editor Response to Where Do Bed Bugs Bite …
Is this a bed bug?? Not rated yet Hi,
The past 2 days, I've noticed 7 tiny bites on my body; 3 on one arm but spaced out-one by my shoulder, one on my forearm and one by my wrist. The …
Is this a bed bug or carpet beetle? Not rated yet I just want to know if the picture attached is a bed bug or not.
Thank,
Cecilia
Editor Response to Is This a Bed Bug or Carpet Beetle
Based …
Am I safe from bed bugs brought into the work place? Not rated yet I have a co-worker who has a bed bug infestation and she has brought them into the work place. I left my jacket in my locker one day and when i put it …
Is this a bed bug? Not rated yet Is this a bedbug????
Editor Comment:
Hi Angela,
It looks more like a beetle than a bedbug. To be certain we suggest sending the photo or the actual …
Bed Bugs or Not? Not rated yet My family had to leave our home in Dallas, Tx and came to stay with family In Missouri. Our things are in storage and the only things we have with us …
Is this a bed bug or carpet beetle? Not rated yet Help! I found this dead bug on the floor of my bedroom. Is it a bedbug?
Editor Response
Based on the visual evidence in the photo, this does not …
Strange Bug! Not rated yet Hello!
I'm wondering if you can please help me identify this bug. I live in Back Bay Boston and found it on my duvet cover on my bed one morning. I sent …
I need help identifying this insect badly Not rated yet I found 4 small bedbug nymph looking things on a vinyl sofa in a bedroom in my very old home. The sofa is right near a chimney where birds are currently …
Neighbors Had Bed Bugs and Now I Do Too Not rated yet I just moved on to the block 3 months ago...Me and my sister being neighborly befriended all the neighbors. One was not so friendly... the house they lived …
Egypt Bed Bugs Treatment Not rated yet I live in Egypt and have resided in the same apartment for 35 years. We are used to mosquitoes and the dreaded cockroaches and have the flat professionally …
Bed Bugs at Night Not rated yet I am 11. I keep seeing them at night when I'm on my phone at night. I'm scared. Do they get in my skin will I die, please help.
Editor Reply Bed Bugs …
Bed bug paranoid Not rated yet I just traveled to Vietnam and I discovered I stayed in a hotel with bed bugs. I've had the worst itching and hurtful bites ever, I have them all over …
Giant bed bug Not rated yet These things were a living nightmare. This one was really big. Like a bedbug on steroids. No one believed me when I told them how big it was. This was …
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Bed Bugs Actual Size at Each Life Stage
Comparison of Bed Bugs Before and After Feeding at Every Life Stage
Bed Bug on Human Thumb
Bed Bugs Life Cycle From Egg to Adult
Bed bug life cycle diagram showing egg to adult timeline
Magnified Picture of a Bed Bug Nymph (Young or Baby Bed Bug)
Engorged Nymph After Blood Meal
Bed Bug Hatching from Egg (UNL)
Pictures of Baby Bed Bugs
Female bed bugs are typically broader and more rounded at the rear of the abdomen, while males are slightly slimmer with a more pointed, tapered abdomen tip. The difference is subtle and usually easiest to see when comparing two adults side by side.
Bed Bug Dorsal View
Engorged with Blood After Feeding on Host (left-A) and Not Engorged (Right-B) Bed Bugs Pictures
Magnified Top View of Bed Bug
Bed Bug Front View Showing Flat Body Profile
Bed Bug Side View Showing Flat Body Profile
