What Does Bed Bug Shells Look Like? – The Definitive Guide

Do you know what a bed bug shell looks like? Some people mistakenly think that the brown or black casings of bed bugs are their shells. These are not their shells, but rather the shed exoskeletons of bed bugs as they grow. Let’s explore more about these casings and learn about what a bed bug shell looks like. Let’s be honest—bed bugs are among the creepiest of insects. But as disgusting as they may be to us, they’re actually quite fascinating when you consider how many different species of arthropod they belong to. When you understand them better, they don’t seem so scary anymore!

What does bed bug shells look like?

A bed bug shell has a tough outer coating called an exoskeleton that protects its body. As the bed bug grows, it needs to shed its exoskeleton and replace it with a larger one. The empty shell remains attached to the bug’s body. The shell is cone-shaped, brownish-black, and 1 to 2 mm long.

Why Do Bed Bugs Shed Their Shells?

1. The bed bug needs to grow.

Bed bug shells are shed in order to accommodate the growth of the insect. When a bed bug is first born, it is only about 1/8 inch long. As the insect matures, it grows and needs to shed its exoskeleton to accommodate the new size.

2. The exoskeleton is hard and prevents the bed bug from growing any larger.

Because of how tough the exoskeleton is, it can’t grow any larger than it already is without tearing off its own skin and getting stuck on the inside of itself. This would be very painful for a bed bug!

3. A bigger shell would be harder for predators to find and eat.

Bed bugs are small insects that live in places like mattresses, beds, couches, and chairs where they hide from predators like birds or mice that might eat them as food or simply use them as a resting place while they sleep at night—which is exactly what they want! If a predator were able to find and eat an entire bed bug easily, then there wouldn’t be much left for anyone else to eat! And smaller-sized shells would make finding one bed bug easier than finding two or three because they’d look more similar! So if you want to keep your home safe from predators like birds or mice, you keep your bed bugs small so they can stay hidden easily!

Where Can You Find Bed Bug Shells?

1. In the cracks of furniture.

Bed bug shells can be found under the mattress in the cracks between the box spring and bed frame. They can also be found under mattresses and other furniture pieces, in cracks between the headboard and wall, or on the floor or floorboards.

2. In your closets or dresser drawers.

Bed bug shells can also be found on clothes, towels, linens, blankets, or other items that have been used by an infestation. They can even be found in your purse or wallet! Bed bugs don’t like to spend time out of their hiding place so they’re not likely to leave behind any of their shells!

3. In the seams of mattress or box spring.

Bed bug shells can also be found in the seams of mattresses and box springs, which are the places where you typically find bed bug bites! This can happen if you have an infestation because a bed bug will bite you on these places to get at your blood or their food source—which is most likely to be you!

4. On your clothes.

Bed bug shells can also be found on clothes, towels, linens, blankets, or other items that have been used by an infestation. They can even be found in your purse or wallet! Bed bugs don’t like to spend time out of their hiding place so they’re not likely to leave behind any of their shells!

5. In the seams on furniture and clothing.

Bed bug shells can also be found in the seams on furniture and clothing that have been used by an infestation. They can even be found in your purse or wallet! Bed bugs don’t like to spend time out of their hiding place so they’re not likely to leave behind any of their shells!

6. In the seams of mattresses and box springs.

Bed bug shells can also be found in the seams on mattresses and box springs that have been used by an infestation. They can even be found in your purse or wallet! Bed bugs don’t like to spend time out of their hiding place so they’re not likely to leave behind any of their shells!

7. In the seams on furniture, clothing, and shoes.

Bed bug shells can also be found in the seams on furniture, clothing, or shoes that have been used by an infestation. They can even be found in your purse or wallet! Bed bugs don’t like to spend time out of their hiding place so they’re not likely to leave behind any of their shells!

What Are The Features Of Bed Bug?

1. Bed bug adults are about 1/4 inch long, brownish-red in color, and flat. They have no wings and can move very fast.
2. Bed bugs are usually found hiding in cracks and crevices of the bed frame or mattress seams.
3. Bed bug nymphs are smaller than an adult bed bug, and they have fully developed legs but no wings or antennae yet. They resemble a tiny adult except that they have a whitish-yellow color and their legs are thinner than the adults.
4. Nymphs will feed on any blood (except human blood) that is available to them, including that of other bed bugs!
5. If you find a bed bug shell, it indicates that there is an infestation of bed bugs nearby!
6. The eggs of bed bugs look like tiny grains of rice when viewed through a microscope but they get much bigger once they hatch into nymphs! They hatch from eggs laid by the female during her lifespan as an adult (usually within 2 to 6 weeks after she lays her eggs) and then she dies afterwards. The nymphs will molt several times before reaching maturity—this is where the shell comes in handy because it helps them to shed their skin! It’s usually at this stage (when they’re between 4 to 10 days old) that they start feeding on your blood!

How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?

1. Bed bug infestations are very common, so it’s important to know how to get rid of them!
2. The best way to get rid of a bed bug infestation is to use a professional pest control company, like Pest Expert.
3. To help you find the bed bugs on your mattress and box spring, you can use a lint roller and vacuum it up, or use an aerosol spray and kill the bugs from the inside!
4. If you know where the bed bugs are hiding, using a vacuum or steam cleaner on your mattress seams is recommended!
5. It’s also recommended to thoroughly clean or replace any furniture that has been used by an infestation.

Summary

Bed bugs are arthropods that use a hard outer shell called a exoskeleton to grow. This exoskeleton is shed approximately every 3 weeks, usually in one piece. Shed exoskeletons are often mistaken for bed bug shells. The bed bug shell is tiny, about 1/16 of an inch long, and is brown, red, black, or yellow in colour. You can use a magnifying glass to look for bed bug shells and you can also put them under a microscope to see what species of arthropod they came from. If you find a shed exoskeleton, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there are bed bugs in that area. However, finding a few shed exoskeletons in different areas of your home could indicate that there are bed bugs somewhere in your home.

FAQ’s

What is the difference between bedbugs and bed bug shells?

Bed bug shells are shed exoskeletons of bed bugs, and are the same thing as a cast exoskeleton of any given arthropod species that has molted. The shells do not contain any blood or fecal matter, and are not considered a part of the insect itself.

Can I get rid of bed bugs by vacuuming them up?

Unfortunately, no—you can’t vacuum up bed bugs! Bed bugs can only be killed with heat (or steam) or chemicals (usually sprays).

Are bed bug eggs a different colour from their adult form?

Yes, they do have different colours – their eggs look like tiny grains of rice that hatch into nymphs, which look like tiny worms with wings!