Identifying Bed Bugs
What do bed bugs look like?
The average adult bed bug (scientific name Cimex lectularius) is about ¼ inch (6 mm) long, round, and reddish brown in color. Although they are usually flat enough to slip into a crack the thickness of a credit card, adult bed bugs grow quite a bit in size when they feed and become football-shaped. Juvenile bed bugs range from the size of a pinhead or small sesame seed to the adult size as they pass through five stages of growth (instars). Before feeding, hatchling bed bugs are yellowish tan and can be hard to see. Once they feed and digest their blood meal, bed bugs develop a black spot in the belly, making them easy to identify.