Bed Bugs 101 - Identification

• Eggs are pearly white and & only 1mm in length
• First stage immature bed bugs are light colored, somewhat translucent and only 1mm in length
• Immature bugs go through five developmental stages becoming larger and darker with each stage
• Adult bed bugs are approximately 1/4 inch in length and are reddish-brown in color

Immature Bed Bugs (start out 1 mm in length and get larger with each developmental stage)
Adult Bed Bug - 1/4"	Bed Bug Eggs

Adults are small, brownish insects, just under a 1/4” long and are relatively flat. They are nearly as wide as they are long, and oval in shape. Immature bed bugs (nymphs) resemble the adults, but are much smaller and lighter in color. Newly hatched nymphs are translucent and are no bigger than a pinhead (1 mm). After feeding on a blood meal the immature bed bugs may appear bright red in color. Bed bugs lack wings and therefore they do not fly, but they are capable of moving swiftly on both horizontal and vertical surfaces. The eggs are very small (approximately 1mm), whitish, and very difficult to see on most surfaces without magnification (individual eggs are about the size of a dust speck).