A Description Of Bed Bugs

Notoriously Tiny Predators

Bed bugs are insects with the scientific name Cimex lectularius. Through the decades, these insects are considered pests in different countries, be it in the US, in Asian countries, in Europe and even in Africa.

Bed bugs are small and tiny miniscule creatures that creep quickly. They look like tiny crawling dots when seen by the naked eye during broad daylight.

People have their perception and opinion as to how bed bugs look like. But in general, as can be seen in pictures printed all over text books, magazines or even online through the Internet, bed bugs closely resemble their arachnid relatives - the mites.

Physical attributes

Since bed bugs are so tiny, it would be difficult, if you attemptted to just capture one and closely look at it. If you are really curious, you may try. But it is advisable that you make use of a magnifying glass or lens.

Also be sure that the insect is already dead or paralyzed before touching it for inspection. Otherwise, you may find out for yourself how bed bugs generally look like, but may be a catalyst in spreading the pest.

Remember, small insects like bed bugs are very resilient, contrary to how they look like. Touching it for inspection, the bed bug might run away or crawl out of your palm.

Look at pictures of bed bugs in different easily accessible sources if you really want to know how it looks like.

To describe bed bugs, they generally are so small. Usually, they are colored deep brown. But some bed bugs might appear white to creamy white.

When bed bugs are full of blood (by the way, they suck blood for a living), they usually appear or look differently.

Bed bugs which just enjoyed a sumptuous meal of blood from unwilling and unaware hosts, look bloated. Normally, bed bugs look flat when viewed from to bottom.

But having blood in their stomach, bed bugs may look like tiny balloons. The difference, apparently, is that what is inside them is not air, but blood.

Presence of host's blood inside their systems can also make bed bugs appear like tiny creatures with little black or deep red masses inside their bodies.

Wingless creatures

Unfortunately, for the bed bugs, they are wingless. That means the only way they travel from one place to another to find hosts or ideal habitats, is through crawling or hitchhiking.

That can be tough. But imagine how rampant and wide spread they could have been if they have wings to allow them to easily fly around and wander.

Bed bugs look like tiny creatures, they are tinier than ants and mites, that creep into, through and from crevices, small cracks and tiny holes in floors, walls, furniture, bed and even clothes and bed sheets.

Bed bugs do not look like vampires or bats, but they are also nocturnal. It means they are out of sight during daytime, but go out to feed themselves during the night, when the unsuspecting victim or host is sleeping tightly.

By the way, so miniscule they may seem, but did you know that bed bugs, when reaching their full adult stage, can grow and lengthen by as long as a quarter of an inch? If you happen to closely look at one, or if you have seen one, you may have wished that they had stayed tiny.


Bed bugs' life span

Adult bed bugs can last more than a year without consuming food.

It is true. Younger bed bugs, which, if not able to suck blood from hosts, will only last a few weeks to about a month. That is much shorter compared to their adult counterparts, but they are still very resilient.

Bed bugs look like they are not active in the reproductive department, but this is another wrong assumption. During their life span, female bed bugs can carry and survive three pregnancies. Whenever they lay eggs, they lay about 300 tiny eggs.

That is still pretty much considering their body size.

Bed bugs case are small, but terrible. Knowing what they look like, will help you reco0gnize them earlier and help stop the spread of this pest.