Is this a bed bug? (photo)

Is this a bed bug?

Editor Response

From your photo, yes, this looks very much like an adult bed bug that has recently fed. It has the flat, oval, wingless body, the reddish-brown color and the apple-seed size of an adult, and the darker, swollen rear section is typical right after a blood meal. A photo can't confirm it 100%: close relatives such as bat bugs and swallow bugs look nearly identical and can only be told apart under magnification. If you can, drop the bug into a small vial of rubbing alcohol (or seal it in a bag and freeze it) and have it identified by your county extension office or a pest control professional. Then check your mattress seams, box spring, bed frame and headboard for dark spots, eggs and shed skins, and put interceptor cups under the bed legs. Our guide to the signs of bed bugs shows what to look for, and our guide on how to get rid of bed bugs covers next steps.