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What do bed bugs look like

The intention of this page is to help you determine whether what you have found in your home is a bed bug. This page is intended to be a visual guide, where we share pictures of bed bugs, nymphs, shed skin, eggs, fecal matter and more that we have collected over the past 15 years in the GTA.

Adult Bed Bugs

Characteristics

  • Size (length):

    6 mm

  • Size (width):

    < 3 mm

  • Colour:

    Ranges from light brown to reddish brown

  • Shape:

    Board and oval, body is flat when unfed and becomes more elongate and plump after feeding

  • Legs:

    Six legs

  • Antenna:

    Two four-segmented antennas

  • Wings:

    Wingless

Images & descriptions

Scroll through the images we have captured of adult bed bugs from homes in Toronto and the GTA to see what they look like on a phone camera, both with flash and in regular room lighting.

Close-up of a bed bug showing its broad, oval, apple-seed-shaped body with a slightly pointed end and reddish-brown colour.

In this picture, we can see the shape of the bed bug very clearly. The shape of a bed bug is usually compared to that of an apple seed. You can see that its body is broad, oval-shaped, and slightly pointed at the end. We can also observe its color, which is reddish-brown in this case.

Bed bug shown upside down with six legs and antennae visible; its oval brown body has a pointed abdomen, with a darker center likely from feeding and a small black fecal spot.

This is a bed bug upside down. We can see all six legs and the antennae very clearly. Again, note the size and shape: the color is brown, and the body is oval with a pointed abdomen tip. The darker colour seen in the center of the bed bug is most likely blood from feeding, and the black dot visible is fecal matter.

Close-up of a bed bug highlighting its flat, dark-coloured body and textured surface under bright lighting.

In this picture, we can appreciate the flatness of a bed bug, which is often described. The color is on the darker side, and this image shows what the texture of a bed bug looks like under bright light.

Adult bed bug crawling on a curtain tieback, showing its small size, flat body, and oval shape from a side angle.

Here, we can clearly see the size of an adult bed bug, this picture shows a bed bug crawling on a curtain tieback. We can also see the flatness of the bed bug from a different angle here, as well as its color, texture, and shape.

Close-up view of a bed bug clearly showing its small size (near a USB port), oval shape, brown colour, and textured body.

Here again, we can very clearly see all the characteristics of the bed bug described above, including its size, shape, color, and texture.

Bed bug on carpet beside a baseboard, with its flat, oval body, six legs, and antennae visible in close-up.

This bed bug is pictured on the carpet next to a baseboard. The six legs and the antennae are visible when zoomed in, and the shape and flatness of the bug are also clearly visible.

Two adult bed bugs with dark, elongated, plump bodies, likely after feeding.

Two adult bed bugs are pictured here. Both appear dark in color and elongated, with a plump shape, likely due to a recent feeding.

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    Bed Bug Nymphs

    Characteristics

    • Size (length):

      1.5 – 4.5 mm, depending on the stage

    • Size (width):

      < 2.5 mm, depending on the stage

    • Colour:

      Translucent and pale before feeding; a dark spot is visible in the abdomen after feeding

    • Shape:

      The shape of a bed bug nymph is similar to that of an  adult bed bug, but it is smaller in size

    • Legs:

      Six legs

    • Antenna:

      Two four-segmented antennae

    Images & descriptions

    Scroll through the photos we have captured of bed bug nymphs from homes in Toronto and the GTA to see what they look like on a phone camera, both with flash and in regular room lighting.

    Two light-coloured bed bug nymphs on a mattress beside small black fecal spots.

    In this photo, two bed bug nymphs can be seen on a mattress. Notice that, in comparison to adult bed bugs, they are lighter in colour but have a similar shape. The black dots present are bed bug fecal matter.

    Bed bugs on a wooden bed frame slat, including five larger dark adult bugs and multiple smaller pale nymphs, some with dark spots indicating recent feeding.

    Here we can see many bed bugs present on a wooden bed frame slat. You can see five adult bed bugs, characterized by their larger size and darker colour. The rest are bed bug nymphs at varying stages and sizes. Some nymphs appear yellow and very light in colour, while others have a dark spot in their abdomen. This shows that the ones with the dark spot have recently fed.

    Several pale, translucent bed bug nymphs of different sizes beside a couple of larger adult bed bugs, highlighting the size difference and early unfed stages.

    Here, we can see several nymphs at various stages and sizes next to a couple of adult bed bugs. The small size of the nymphs is clearly visible here, remember that adult bed bugs only reach up to 6 mm in length. The nymphs are very pale and translucent in their early stages and appear not to have fed.

    Heavy bed bug infestation on the underside of a box spring, showing numerous small, pale nymphs and a few larger adult bugs.

    This is the underside of a box spring. In this image, we see a heavy infestation, with many nymphs present along with a few adult bed bugs. The majority of the nymphs appear to be in early stages and have not fed.

    Close-up of bed bugs and nymphs clustered around and inside a screw hole on a bed frame, with visible black fecal spots and a screw for size reference.

    In this image, we can clearly appreciate the small size of the bed bug nymphs, as they appear next to and inside a screw hole in the bed frame. Several nymphs and a few adult bed bugs are clustered in the recessed area, along with visible dark fecal spots. The comparison with the screw helps highlight how tiny the nymphs are.

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      Bed Bug Exoskeleton

      Characteristics

      • Size:

        1mm – 6mm, range from the size of small nymphs to adults

      • Colour:

        Pale and translucent, often ranging from shades of yellow to light brown

      • Shape:

        Same as the shape of a bed bug, leg and segment are usually visible

      • Texture:

        Dry, brittle and fragile

      Images & descriptions

      Scroll through the images we have captured of bed bug exoskeletons (shed skin) from homes in Toronto and the GTA to see what they look like on a phone camera, both with flash and in regular room lighting.

      Close-up of multiple bed bug shed skins in varying sizes, showing intact legs and body segments, with a dry, brittle, and fragile appearance.

      This is one of our proudest photos. It clearly shows the different sizes that bed bug exoskeletons (shed skins) come in. It also highlights that all legs and body segments are intact. You can also see the dry, brittle, and fragile nature of the skins.

      Numerous pale, translucent bed bug shed skins scattered across a light-colored wood floor, showing dry, brittle, bug-shaped shells.

      In this photo, a large number of bed bug exoskeletons (shed skins) can be seen against a light-colored wood floor. The exoskeletons appear dry and brittle, making them easy to crush. They are shaped like bed bugs and appear pale in color and translucent.

      Bed bug shed skins in different sizes alongside a few small eggs, illustrating their relative size and pale coloration.

      This photo shows bed bug shed skins of varying sizes. A few eggs are also visible in the image, helping to provide perspective on their size and colour.

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        Bed Bug Eggs

        Characteristics

        • Size (length):

          ~ 1 mm

        • Size (width):

          < 0.5 mm

        • Colour:

          Usually described as pearly white and translucent after hatch

        • Shape:

          Long and oval, usually found in clusters and cemented on to the surface

        Images & descriptions

        Scroll through the images we have captured of bed bug eggs from homes in Toronto and the GTA to see what they look like on a phone camera, both with flash and in regular room lighting.

        A close-up of a cluster of small eggs attached to a wooden bed frame, appearing firmly stuck to the surface.

        In this picture, we can see a cluster of bed bug eggs on a wooden bed frame. These are usually cemented onto the surface and hard to the touch.

        An extreme close-up of hatched bed bug eggs that look empty and nearly translucent, clustered together on a surface.

        A very close-up view of bed bug eggs. These are hatched, as they appear empty and nearly translucent.

        Close-up of an adult bed bug and eggs hidden in the seam at the bottom of a couch, with a gloved finger shown for scale.

        This picture clearly shows the scale, with a gloved human finger next to an adult bed bug and eggs. It also highlights a common hiding spot, along the seam at the bottom of a couch, where the fabric opens slightly, creating an ideal place for bed bugs and their eggs to remain hidden.

        A group of bed bugs clustered together, with several adult bugs visible alongside much smaller eggs, providing a clear sense of scale.

        A cluster of bed bug eggs is shown, with a few adult bed bugs also visible in the photo, which helps give a better perspective of the size of bed bug eggs.

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          Bed Bug Droppings/Feces

          Characteristics

          • Size (diameter):

            ~ 1 mm

          • Colour:

            Dark brown or black

          • Shape:

            Usually appear as smudges and spots with a round-ish border

          Images & descriptions

          Scroll through the photos we have captured of bed bug feces (poop) from homes in Toronto the GTA to see what they look like on a phone camera, both with flash and in regular daylight lighting.

          Close-up of dark spotting on the edge of a mattress beside multiple adult bed bugs, indicating bed bug activity.

          In this photo, we can see dark spotting along the edge of a mattress next to several adult bed bugs, a common sign of bed bug activity.

          Close-up of bed bug fecal matter on a wooden bed frame beside three adult bed bugs and eggs.

          Here, we can see bed bug fecal matter next to three adult bed bugs and their eggs on a wooden bed frame.

          Heavy bed bug infestation on a wall and baseboard, showing dark, slightly raised dried fecal spots clustered along the surface.

          In this case, we can see very heavy bed bug activity, along with fecal matter on a wall and baseboard. In this image, the fecal matter appears slightly raised after drying on the surface.

          Close-up of bed bug fecal stains on a bed sheet, showing small dark spotting typical of bed bug activity.

          In this picture, we have a similar situation, but this time we can see what bed bug fecal stains look like on a bed sheet.

          Close-up of heavy bed bug fecal staining on a mattress cover, indicating a severe infestation.

          This photo shows what bed bug fecal matter can look like on a mattress cover in the case of a very heavy infestation.

            References:

            • Pinto, L. J., Cooper, R., & Kraft, S. K. (2021). Bed bug handbook: The Complete Guide to bed bugs and their control. Pinto & Associates, Inc.
            • Kramer, R., & Kramer, J. (2012). Pct Technician’s Handbook: A guide to pest identification & management. GIE Media.
            • Mallis, A. (2011). Handbook of Pest Control. Mallis Handbook LLC.