What do domestic bedbugs look like: photos and where to find them? - briefly
Adult bedbugs are flat, oval, reddish‑brown insects roughly 4–5 mm long, turning swelled and darker after a blood meal. They conceal themselves in mattress seams, box‑spring cracks, headboard crevices, and nearby furniture, emerging at night to feed on exposed skin.
What do domestic bedbugs look like: photos and where to find them? - in detail
Domestic bedbugs are small, flat insects measuring 4–5 mm in length when fully grown. Their bodies are oval, resembling a tiny apple seed, and they lack wings. Color shifts from translucent or pale brown after feeding to deep rust‑red after a blood meal, making recent meals visible as a reddish hue on the abdomen. Six legs attach to the thorax, each ending in a tiny claw. Antennae are short, segmented, and positioned near the head. Adults possess a distinct “cigar‑shaped” silhouette that flattens when pressed against surfaces.
Nymphal stages resemble adults but are progressively smaller and lighter in color, lacking the deep red after feeding. Eggs appear as tiny, white, oval capsules about 0.5 mm long, often clustered in hidden crevices. These visual differences aid identification in photographs.
Typical locations where bedbugs congregate include:
- Mattress seams, tags, and box‑spring folds
- Bed frame joints and headboard cracks
- Upholstered furniture cushions and seams
- Behind wall baseboards and electrical outlet frames
- Luggage interiors, especially zippered compartments
- Public transport seats and luggage racks
Signs of infestation accompany visual identification:
- Dark‑brown or black fecal spots on fabrics and walls
- Transparent exuviae (shed skins) near harborage sites
- Small, red, itchy welts on exposed skin
When capturing images for verification, follow these guidelines:
- Use a macro lens or a smartphone with close‑focus capability to resolve details as small as 0.5 mm.
- Illuminate subjects with diffused natural light or a ring flash to avoid shadows that obscure markings.
- Photograph specimens from multiple angles: dorsal (top), ventral (bottom), and lateral (side) to display body shape and coloration.
- Include a scale reference, such as a ruler or coin, in each shot to convey size accurately.
Accurate visual documentation combined with knowledge of preferred harborage points enables effective detection and subsequent control measures.