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Bed Bugs & Related Bugs

Stylized illustration of bed bugs & related bugs

By The Pest Guide Team · Updated
Edited by Fellipe Antequera · Editorial policy

You pull back the sheets one morning to find a flat, reddish-brown bug crawling across the mattress, and your immediate thought is a full-blown infestation that will cost a fortune to fix. This group brings together the notorious common bed bug and its wildlife-dwelling cousins, the bat bugs and swallow bugs, because they share an unmistakable blueprint of being wingless, flat-bodied, and exclusively dedicated to drinking warm blood. Finding one of these bugs in your home does not automatically mean a catastrophe, but it does mean you need a proper diagnosis before spending a dime on treatments, since a misidentification can lead you to treat a mattress when the real culprit is a bat roost in the attic.

Telling this group apart from other household pests comes down to looking closely at shape, movement, and where you spot them, as they are often confused with fleas, cockroaches, or bird mites. Unlike jumping fleas or racing cockroaches, these bugs crawl steadily on six thin legs without wings, and unlike microscopic mites, they are visible to the naked eye at the size of an apple seed or lentil. While true bed bugs cluster tightly around sleeping areas in mattress seams and bed frames, wildlife bugs typically wander down from upper-floor ceilings, attics, or exterior eaves, pointing you away from furniture sprays and straight toward wildlife exclusion.

Explore bed bugs & related bugs

Illustration of Common bed bugCommon bed bugCimex lectulariusIllustration of Tropical bed bugTropical bed bugCimex hemipterusIllustration of Eastern bat bugEastern bat bugCimex adjunctusIllustration of Swallow bugsSwallow bugsOeciacus vicarius

Questions about bed bugs & related bugs

Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat do bed bugs look like?Learn what bed bugs look like across every life stage, how to identify them correctly, and what steps to take next.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat do bed bugs look like on sheets?Discover what bed bugs, eggs, cast skins, and fecal spots look like on bed sheets, and learn how to identify them safely.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat are the signs of bed bugs?Learn how to identify bed bugs using physical evidence rather than bites, including size, fecal spots, and searching strategies.Bed Bugs & Related BugsCan you see bed bugs with the naked eye?Yes. Adult bed bugs are 5 to 7 mm, about the size of an apple seed, and even newly hatched nymphs are visible if you know where to look.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow do bed bugs get into your house?Bed bugs hitchhike on luggage, clothes, bags and secondhand furniture, and crawl between apartments through walls and conduits. They cannot fly or jump.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat do bed bug bites look like?Bed bug bites are small, itchy red or pink bumps, often in a line or cluster, purplish on darker skin. Bites alone cannot confirm bed bugs.Bed Bugs & Related BugsDo bed bug bites itch?Bed bug bites usually itch, but reactions vary. Some people never react at all, which is why bites alone are not a reliable sign of bed bugs.Bed Bugs & Related BugsBed bug bites vs flea bites: how can you tell?Learn how to distinguish between bed bug bites and flea bites using home inspections, physical cues, and diagnostic tests rather than unreliable skin marks.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow do you get rid of bed bugs?Learn how to get rid of bed bugs safely and effectively using an integrated pest management strategy.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow does bed bug heat treatment work?Bed bug heat treatment raises the whole space to 120 to 130°F with industrial heaters and fans, holding it long enough to kill bugs and eggs.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat do bed bug eggs look like?Learn what bed bug eggs look like, where they are found, and how to identify them safely in your home.Bed Bugs & Related BugsCan bed bug eggs be found on sheets?Yes. Female bed bugs glue pearl-white eggs, about 1 mm long, to hems and fitted corners. Eggs on sheets usually mean the infestation has grown.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat should you check when you find bed bug eggs on a bed?Bed bug eggs on your bed mean bugs are breeding there. Check whether the eggs hatched, where the adults hide and how far the problem has spread.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow long do bed bug eggs take to hatch?Bed bug eggs hatch in about 6 to 10 days at 70 to 80°F. In cooler homes it takes 10 to 12 days. Temperature sets the pace of development.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat kills bed bug eggs?Most sprays do not kill bed bug eggs. Heat does: 30 minutes in a hot dryer for washables, steam for seams, and some products made to penetrate the shell.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow do you find bed bugs in a couch?Learn how to systematically inspect a couch for bed bugs, identify physical indicators, and determine the right next steps.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow do you deal with bed bugs in a couch?Learn how to inspect, clean, heat, and isolate an infested couch using practical integrated pest management steps.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow do you check a hotel room for bed bugs?A practical, blunt guide on how to inspect a hotel room for bed bugs, handle luggage safely, and manage travel decontamination.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat should you do if you find bed bugs in a hotel room?Learn what to do if you find bed bugs in a hotel room, how to inspect properly, and how to keep them from hitchhiking home with you.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat are the signs of bed bugs in a hotel room?Learn how to spot signs of bed bugs in a hotel room, what evidence to look for, and how to handle the situation safely.Bed Bugs & Related BugsCan bed bugs live in a car, and what should you check?Learn whether bed bugs can survive in a car, what hidden vehicle spaces they check, and how to inspect and address them safely.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat do bed bug stains on sheets look like?Learn what bed bug stains on sheets look like, how to test them, and what practical steps to take next.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow do you deal with bed bugs in an apartment?Learn how to deal with a bed bug infestation in an apartment setting using integrated pest management.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow do bed bugs spread in an apartment building?Learn how bed bugs travel through apartment buildings via walls, pipes, and personal belongings, and discover how to handle multi-unit infestations.Bed Bugs & Related BugsCan you do bed bug heat treatment yourself?Learn whether you can perform bed bug heat treatments yourself, the risks of whole-room DIY heating, and safe methods for treating clothes and small items.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat is a bed bug mattress encasement?Learn what a bed bug mattress encasement is, how it traps pests to starve them, and how to use it as part of an effective isolation strategy.Bed Bugs & Related BugsDo bed bug traps work?Bed bug traps are great for early detection and checking whether treatment worked, but they cannot eliminate an infestation on their own.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow do bed bug traps for bed legs work?Learn how moat-style pitfall interceptors work under bed legs to trap crawling bed bugs, how to identify catches, and when to call a professional.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhy are swallow bugs in the house?Swallow bugs come inside in autumn after cliff swallows leave their mud nests on the eaves. Without birds to feed on, they wander indoors.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow much does pest control cost?Pest control cost depends on the pest, how bad the infestation is, property size and the equipment needed. Here is what drives the price.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat are tiny black bugs on walls?Tiny black bugs on walls are often bed bugs, carpet beetles, springtails, clover mites or termite swarmers. Size, shape and movement tell them apart.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat are little brown bugs in a bed?Little brown bugs in a bed are usually bed bugs or carpet beetles, sometimes bat bugs, fleas, booklice or roach nymphs. Here is how to tell.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat are little white bugs that bite?Little white bugs that bite are usually newly hatched bed bug nymphs, about 1 to 1.5 mm, pale until their first blood meal.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat affects the cost of bed bug heat treatment?Bed bug heat treatment cost depends on equipment, power, a crew on site for six to eight hours, clutter, heat-absorbing floors and how pricing is set.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat does a bed bug exterminator cost?Learn what factors drive the cost of professional bed bug extermination, from chemical treatments to whole-room thermal remediation.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat do bed bugs on a mattress look like?Learn what bed bugs on a mattress look like, including eggs, nymphs, and physical evidence.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow big is a bed bug nymph at each stage?Learn how big bed bug nymphs are at each stage of development, how to identify them, and what practical steps to take next.Bed Bugs & Related BugsCan bed bug nymphs bite before they become adults?Learn whether bed bug nymphs can bite before reaching adulthood and how to handle an infestation safely.Bed Bugs & Related BugsBed bug nymph vs adult: which features can you identify at home?Learn how to distinguish between bed bug nymphs and adults at home, using simple size comparisons, physical clues, and practical next steps.Bed Bugs & Related BugsAre bed bug stains on sheets different from stains on a mattress seam?Learn the key differences between bed bug stains found on bed sheets versus those discovered along mattress seams.Bed Bugs & Related BugsCan a bedroom have bed bug signs without visible insects?Discover why a bedroom can show clear signs of a bed bug infestation even when no live insects are visible, and learn how to identify and handle the problem.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat should you inspect before bringing secondhand furniture indoors?Learn how to inspect secondhand furniture for pests before bringing it inside your home.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow do bed bug interceptors help you monitor a bed?Learn how bed bug interceptors work, how to use them for monitoring, and what steps to take when you find pests.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat should you ask a pest professional before heat treatment?Learn the essential questions to ask a pest control professional before hiring them for a whole-room heat treatment.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhy might bed bugs appear after a first treatment?Understand why bed bugs might still appear after an initial treatment, how to identify them correctly, and what steps to take next.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow should you handle bedding and laundry during a bed bug treatment plan?Learn how to properly handle bedding, laundry, and storage during a bed bug treatment plan with clear, practical steps.Bed Bugs & Related BugsCan bed bugs travel between apartment units through shared spaces?Learn how bed bugs travel between apartments through shared walls, how to identify them, and what practical steps to take next.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat should you document when bed bugs are found in a rental apartment?Learn what essential evidence to gather and document when bed bugs are discovered in a rental apartment.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow do you inspect a bed frame for bed bug hiding places?Learn how to inspect your bed frame for bed bug hiding places, identify signs of an infestation, and decide the next steps.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhen should a recurring bed bug bite concern prompt an inspection instead of another spray?Learn when a recurring bed bug bite concern requires a professional inspection instead of another chemical spray.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat should a bed bug service explain before heat treatment?Learn what a professional bed bug service must explain before performing a heat treatment, from thermal mechanics to preparation steps and safety warnings.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow do you know whether a bed bug treatment needs follow-up monitoring?Learn why bed bug treatments require follow-up monitoring, how to spot the signs of surviving pests, and when to call a professional.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhy is treating only a bed frame unlikely to solve a room-wide problem?Explains why treating only the bed frame fails to eliminate a bed bug infestation and outlines room-wide strategies.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhen can bed bug evidence in an apartment affect neighboring units?Understand how bed bug evidence in apartments travels to neighboring units and what steps to take next.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhy does reducing bedroom dust differ from treating a parasite infestation?Learn the key differences between managing non-parasitic bedroom dust mites and eliminating parasitic bed bugs or mites.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhen is a second pest inspection useful?Understand when a second pest inspection is necessary, how to identify persistent infestations, and when to call in professional help.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhy should a suspected insect bite not be treated as proof of infestation?Skin reactions only show an immune response, which allergies and irritants can also cause. A bite alone cannot prove you have an infestation.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat should New York City apartment residents document after finding bed bugs?Learn what to document when finding bed bugs in a New York City apartment to ensure proper landlord response and pest control.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat questions affect the price of a bed bug exterminator?Discover the factors that influence bed bug extermination pricing, from species identification to treatment methods and property layout.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhat should you do if you find bed bugs in your bed?Find out what to do if you discover bed bugs in your bed, how to identify them, and when to seek professional help.Bed Bugs & Related BugsCan bed bugs live in a couch or other furniture?Learn whether bed bugs can infest your couch, how to identify them, and what practical steps to take next.Bed Bugs & Related BugsHow do you check luggage for bed bugs after a trip?Check luggage for bed bugs on a hard surface away from bedrooms. Use a flashlight on zippers, seams and wheels for bugs, eggs and dark spots.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhen should you call a bed bug professional?Learn when to call a pest professional for bed bugs, how to identify them, and what steps to take next.Bed Bugs & Related BugsFlea bites vs bed bug bites: what clues are useful?Learn how to distinguish between flea bites and bed bug bites by examining environmental clues, movement patterns, and physical evidence rather than skin marks.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhich pest problems need an inspection before treatment?Learn which pest problems require a thorough inspection before treatment, why blind applications fail, and when to call in professionals.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhy does pest control pricing vary by pest and property?Understand why pest control pricing varies wildly depending on the biology of the pest and the physical characteristics of your property.Bed Bugs & Related BugsWhen is an inspected secondhand couch safe to bring home?Learn how to inspect secondhand furniture for bed bugs and pests safely before bringing it home.

This page was researched with publications from these institutions, then written and reviewed by The Pest Guide Team: