How Do Young Bed Bugs Look Like?
Bedbugs are tiny creatures. They are round and have a red spot on their abdomens. The nymph stage is about a quarter of an inch long. These bugs shed their skin and start digesting blood after they feed. Once they reach adulthood, they become brown.
Bedbugs go through five juvenile stages before they become adults. In the first two stages, they are smaller than adults, but the size of the nymph changes with each stage. By the time they reach the third stage, they are about half the size of adult bed bugs. These nymphs can be hard to spot on white bedding, but they are not invisible.
While bedbugs are flat and brown, they are not always the same color. Adult bedbugs are brown, while their nymphs are white. Baby bedbugs have shorter legs and are more streamlined. They are often hidden and emerge only during the night to feed. Because they have short legs, they are unable to travel very fast.
In addition to size, bedbugs differ in their color. Nymphs are translucent and are white or light brown in color. Once they feed, their abdomens will become bright red. They then fade to a dark brown or black color. The backs of these bugs are raised, indicating that they are hungry. However, it is not possible to distinguish nymphs from adult bedbugs without a microscope.