Why Are Bed Bugs Skinny?
WouterOne common question that you may have is “why are bed bugs skinny?”. They are smaller than a pinhead, and they are able to stretch to accommodate their blood-feeding habits. These bugs are also flat on the sides, and their abdomens are a little longer than their thorax. Their bodies are segmented and have two small “wing casings” near their thorax.
Adult bed bugs are four to five millimeters long, but they can grow up to seven millimeters when engorged with blood. They start out as nymphs, which are only one millimeter long. Their flat bodies and legs allow them to squeeze into cracks as small as two millimeters. This means that they will typically hide in cracks and crevices, such as bed frames, electrical outlets, and even the folds of curtains and mattresses.
Bedbugs are small and hard to see until a problem has become too severe to handle. They are often mistaken for carpet beetles, cockroach nymphs, and spider beetles. If you are worried about bedbugs, try to avoid moving or packing up your home until you have an infestation.
Bedbugs can appear either thin or thick, and both have flat abdomens. Adult bed bugs are a little under a millimeter long, with a pair of antennae. Their abdomens are smooth, and they are off-white in color. Their stomachs are dark when unfed, but turn bright red after a blood meal.
