Are Bedbugs Visible?

Physical Description

• Bed bugs are recognizable by their wingless body and oval shape. These insects are also extremely small, which makes them difficult to detect. A bedbug's egg will be the size of a poppy seed. Adult bed bugs are approximately 1/4 inch in length. Their coloring greatly varies; sometimes they are white but they can also be reddish in color when they have ingested blood.

Location

• Bedbugs seek out the nests of mammals. Sometimes they live in bird or bat nests and await for the host to return so they can feed off them. In the homes of humans, they often seek out beds and warm, darker places. If you disturb a bed, it will most likely scamper away into a crevice or hiding place. The lesions made by a bedbug's saliva resemble those of mosquitoes or fleas.

Behavior

• Usually bedbugs emerge from their hiding places during the night to feed on the blood of their host. They can survive for many months without feeding on blood but tend to feed once every week or so. They can live in furniture or the crevices of an household object. They may also traverse through cracks in the wall, and along wires and pipes.

Evidence

• Evidence of bedbugs comes in many forms. You may start to consistently have bites on your body. The bites may itch and could develop into larger welts. Small bloodstains from their crushed bodies may appear on your sheets or pillow. Additionally, small, dark stains from their droppings could appear on your bedding. Some people bitten by bed bugs develop scars or skin infections.