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Ehrlich Answers
"I found some dead bugs. How do I know if they're bed bugs?"
Live bed bugs are reddish-brown, oval-shaped insects about 1/4 of an inch long (roughly the size of an apple seed) with flat bodies that squeeze into the tightest cracks and crevices.
Dead bed bugs are the same size, but their flat, oval shape becomes more pronounced as the body dries out and the abdomen deflates slightly, making them look thinner and more shriveled than a live bug. They may also appear slightly darker in color.
The clearest sign they're dead? Their legs will be curled underneath them, and they won't move when disturbed.
Is finding dead bed bugs a good sign?
This is a tricky one—it all depends on whether you've had bed bug treatment recently.
If you have: finding dead bed bugs is generally a positive sign. That said, a professional eye is always best: a follow-up with your technician can confirm for sure that your treatment is actually working to eliminate bed bugs at their source.
If you haven't had treatment, dead bed bugs alone aren't reassuring. IF you’ve used DIY methods, they typically only affect adult bugs on contact and won't reach eggs or bugs hiding deep in cracks and crevices. In this case, finding dead bugs is more likely a sign that an infestation is present than a sign it's going away.
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