Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are making a comeback in the U.S. Adult bed bugs are brown, flat and about a 1/4-inch long, with a soft, rounded appearance. After a blood meal they are dark red, rounded (distended), and about 3/8-inch long. They usually come out at night or in darkened areas, and they typically hide close to their hosts. When hiding places and hosts are few, however, they may be found almost anywhere there is a dark crack or crevice. Dark excrement spots of partially digested blood are often found where they rest. Cast skins will also be found, especially where infestations are heavy.
See also:
- Our UMaine Extension Fact Sheet: Bed Bugs
- Dill speaks to BDN about bed bugs (Bangor Daily News interview – 2/17/2023)
- Active bed bug colony (with eggs) inside the cap of a pill bottle sent to our lab (7/25/2024)
- Bed Bugs (various instar stages; two smaller nymphs [top of photo] and two adults [lower right])
- Bed Bug (adult female)
- Bed Bug (adult female) (7/25/2024)
- Bed Bugs (two adult females) (4/26/2023)
- Bed Bug (male) (dorsal view) (4/27/2022)
- The hollow exoskeleton left behind by a bed bug that molted (dorsal view)
- Size Comparisons: Adult Bed Bug (Left), Bed Bug Nymph (Middle), and Sesame Seed (Right)
Additional Resources:
- Bed Bugs (Maine Dept. of ACF)
- Bed Bugs: Biology and Identification (University of Tennessee)
- Bed Bugs (University of Kentucky) en Español
- Bed Bugs (Penn State)
- Bed Bugs (U.S. CDC)
- Photo of Life Stages
- Life Cycle Diagram (Purdue)