Household pest
Bed bug
Cimex lectularius
A small, oval, flattened insect that feeds on blood. Adults are about 4–7 mm, reddish-brown, and are usually found in and around beds, sofas, and other sleeping or resting furniture — not in kitchen grease films like German cockroaches.
Visible identification features
- Adults apple-seed sized (about 4–7 mm), oval and flattened
- Reddish-brown when unfed; darker/plumper after feeding
- No wings; they crawl
- Nymphs are smaller and lighter
- Signs include dark fecal spots on mattress seams, shed skins, and sweetish musty odor in heavy infestations
Why it may be in your home
Bed bugs hide in mattress seams, box springs, bed frames, nightstands, upholstered furniture, and nearby cracks. They are spread mainly on infested furniture, luggage, and used items — not by poor housekeeping alone.
Lookalikes
- Carpet beetle (larva / adult)
Carpet beetle larvae are elongated and bristly (“woolly bears”); adults are rounder beetles, not flattened blood-feeders. They are associated with carpets, wool, and lint, not mattress blood spots.
- German cockroach nymph
Cockroach nymphs are more elongated, have visible legs along a longer abdomen, and cluster near kitchens rather than bed seams.
Next steps
- Inspect mattress seams, bed joints, and nearby furniture before treating.
- Do not bring infested items to a new room; that spreads the problem.
- Heat treatment, encasements, and targeted insecticides used according to the label are common professional tools. DIY foggers often fail to reach harborages.
- Bites vary widely between people; a photo of an insect is more useful than a photo of a welt.
Sources
Updated 2026-08-19. Claims are limited to these sources.