Is this a bed bug??

by Lauren
(NYC)

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 rest are even more spread out; one ankle, one knee, one other arm, one cheek. The bites are tiny, not red and a little itchy. I provided a picture.

I saw a little brown bug on my bed tonight. My boyfriend killed it with a tissue and I took a picture of the dead bug. I'm terrified that I have bed bugs. Please look at the photo and tell me what you think.

One picture is just the squashed bug, the other is my thumb next to it so you can get a gage for the size.

I checked my mattress pad (I have a bed bug case on my mattress do didn't check there), my pillow seems, my top sheet, and duvet seems and didn't see any dark splotches or bugs. I also looked on the center of the sheets and mattress pad where I sleep and ddn't see anything. Please look and tell me if I have bed bugs and what to do if I do.

Thank you!!

Editor Response

Hi Lauren,

Thank you for sending over the detailed description and the photos. I understand completely why you are terrified—finding any bug in your bed is unsettling—but I have some very good news for you.

Based on the photos of the insect (both the squashed one and the one next to your

thumb for scale), that is definitely not a bed bug. It appears to be a cockroach nymph (a baby cockroach). You can tell because it has a more elongated, tapered body shape, whereas bed bugs are rounder and shaped more like an apple seed. Additionally, bed bugs do not have the visible "tail pipes" (cerci) on the rear that are faintly visible in the insect you found.

Regarding the bites you described: Bed bug bites often appear in a line or a tight cluster (often called a "breakfast, lunch, and dinner" pattern). The fact that your bites are spaced out (ankle, knee, shoulder, cheek) makes it less likely to be bed bugs, though skin reactions do vary. It is possible the irritation is from something else entirely, such as mosquitoes, fleas, or a skin reaction, but the bug in the photo is certainly not the culprit.

You mentioned you already have a mattress encasement and inspected the seams of your pillow, duvet, and sheets without finding any dark fecal spots or cast skins. This is excellent news and further confirms that you likely do not have an infestation. A bed bug infestation usually leaves behind physical signs like black ink-dot stains in those seams.

At this stage, you do not need to treat for bed bugs. You likely just had a stray cockroach find its way onto the bed. If you see more of them, you may want to look into standard cockroach treatments or baits, but you can rest easy knowing it is not bed bugs.

Best of Luck,
Jeff
Publisher, Bed Bugs Handbook