What Do Bed Bugs Looks Like?

Bed bug eggs may look like a clear piece of rice and are often stuck to materials where the bed bugs nest or congregate. Though not social bugs they do tend to sit next to each other. Once bed bugs hatch they go thru different stages and will look different in each stage. The first stage Nymph 1  they are newly hatched and almost translucent or clear looking unless they have just fed and then they are more red. After their first blood feed they will molt (shed their exoskeleton) they will grow and become darker after each Nymph stage until they reach their Adult Stage. In optimal conditions they may reach the adult stage in four or five months. Adults are still small- about the size of an apple seed and vary from brown to reddish brown in color. Try to collect one without smashing it so it can be identified. Your local extension office will be able to identify the bug for you at little to no cost. If the bug does gets smashed did a blob of blood squirt out? Does it have six legs? In addition, bed bugs cannot fly and have no real wings. If you can see wings you are not looking at a bedbug.

The 5 In-star States of Bed Bugs

The top 5 Horizontal pictures show bedbugs from nymph (newly born), thru the 5 in-star (a stage in the life of a bed bug between two successive molts). It shows the bugs as they look when they are hungry and not full of blood. The bottom Horizontal pictures show how the bugs change color (especially nymph) and how they elongate with blood. Once the blood has been absorbed they will no longer be elongated and will shrink back down.

More About Bed Bugs

Source: LiveScience

Bed Bugs Lifecycle

Source: Texas A&M University Bed Bug Lifecycle

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