Yes, bed bugs are visible. But, they are very small. Only bed bugs in their final maturity stages are visible. You can easily spot them if you know what to look for. Where there is bed bug activity, all phases of bed bugs from egg to adult are present. They lay eggs in clusters and the eggs are small and white or cream-colored. To grow from each phase of life, bed bugs need a blood meal. But, they can survive for months without one.
When they have had a blood meal, they become a bright red color and grow to about the size of a pinhead. A bedbug who has recently had a blood meal is easier to spot because it becomes swollen and darker. Once adults, bed bugs are about the size of a lentil and take a circular shape. However, their heads and arms are distinctly visible on their bodies.
Bed bugs gravitate to humans as they sleep because they are attracted to the carbon dioxide when we exhale. If you can see the bed bugs but suspect them, a tell-tale sign of bed bugs is red and brown spotting on mattress sheets and/or in the corners of mattresses or other upholstered furniture. In severe cases, bed bug feces and molted shells can be spotted throughout the room in curtains, drawers, and small crevices.
Bed bugs are nocturnal. During the day, bed bugs hide in creases and folds of mattresses or upholstered furniture which make them difficult to see. Both male and female bed bugs need a blood meal to reproduce. Adult bed bugs are flat and oval or circular when unfed and have a reddish-brown color. After consuming a blood meal, bed bugs turn bright red. They swell to three times their size. It takes several days for the bed bugs to return to their natural size and color.
If you have spotted bed bugs or suspect bed bugs in your Texas home, call Pest Management, Inc. Our family-owned business has 64 years of experience in the Travis County area. Bed bugs are the most difficult pest to completely get rid of because they can survive for months between blood meals. Our expert team members handle bed bugs efficiently and with guaranteed results.