The Life Cycle of the Bed Bug

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Knowing what to look for is the first step in identifying and controlling bed bugs. There are many bugs that look like bed bugs so an accurate identification is a critical first step to avoid costly treatment for the wrong bug.

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The types of bugs that look like bed bugs will vary somewhat depending on your region of the country.

Adult bed bugs are:

  • About the size of an apple seed
  • Long and brown, with a flat, oval-shaped body (if not fed recently)
  • Balloon-like, reddish-brown, and more elongated (if fed recently)
  • A “true bug” (characteristics of true bugs include a beak with three segments; antenna that have four parts; wings that are not used for flying; and short, golden-colored hairs)
  • Smelly, with a “musty-sweetish” odor produced through glands on the lower side of the body.

Young bed bugs (also called nymphs) are:

  • Smaller, translucent or whitish-yellow in color;
  • If not recently fed, can be nearly invisible to the naked eye because of coloring and size.

Bed bug eggs are:

  • Tiny, the size of a pinhead
  • Pearl-white in color; and
  • Marked by an eye spot if more than five days old.

No matter what stage of bed bug you encounter, EcoRaider kills bed bugs effectively without lingering environmental effects. EcoRaider is a ready-to-use, naturally derived bio-insecticide that can be applied anywhere bed bugs are found without restriction. EcoRaider can be used in various environments, including schools, health-care facilities and public spaces.

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