Bed bugs are commonly mistaken for other pests in the home. Or, you may think that you have bed bugs in your home when you actually do not, but have some other pest lurking there.

If you plan to treat bed bugs, you need to have proper identification of these insects. Here are some key points to help you to identify them.

• In their adult stage, they are brown to a reddish tint of brown.

• They are an oval shape but they are also flattened out.

• In size, the adult bed bug is about 3/16 to 1/5 of an inch long.

• When they have just had a meal, the bed bug is swollen looking. They will be longer now and have a dark red color to them.

• On the front of their heads, they have what looks like a beak. This is their personal can opener that allows them to pierce and suck from their mouths.

• Adult bed bugs do have wings. These wings do not allow them to fly, though. Their wings are small in size and are very short looking.

• The eggs of bed bugs are either white or colorless. The eggs will darken in color as they get ready to hatch. They will eventually have a brownish tint to them when they are mature.

• The nymphs look a lot like that of the adult bed bugs in their appearance, just at a smaller size.

Bed bugs are commonly mistaken for other bugs that are in the same family, (Family Cimicidae) or in a closely related one. They are often confused with Cimex adjunctus, which are bat bugs or with Cimexopsis spp which are chimney swift bugs. The swallow bug, Oeciacus spp is also confused with bed bugs quite often.

Often the only way to know if a bug really is a bed bug is to have a professional look at it. A microscope is used to determine if the pest has the tell tale characteristics of a bed bug, as we have mentioned above. It is often necessary for a skilled entomologist to do this type of investigation as most can not tell the difference from these creatures listed to the bed bug.

Bed Bugs kind of resemble a tick, and they are just as mean and just as vicious as ticks. Remember, though, that it is quite hard to really tell if a pest that you find in your home is actually that of a bed bug. For example, if you live in an area that may have several of these closely related species; you may be glad to find out that you do not have bed bugs after all. If you live in the Midwest of the United States, you may think that you have found bed bugs in your home. But, it is much more likely that you have found a bat bug instead.

Like all animals, bed bugs prefer certain things about the locations that they live in. While they may be able to live just about anywhere, these creatures do have some high-class preferences. There are two types of main bed bug species.

• Cimex Lectularius: This is the common bed bug that you are most likely to find.

• Cimex Hemipterus: This is known as the tropical bed bug because of the areas that it prefers to live in.

• Cimex Lectularius, the common bed bug is commonly found in areas that are cooler in temperatures. They are found in areas of North America, in areas of Europe and in Asia as well. In these areas, the bed bug tends to be in the cooler regions as apposed to the warmer or tropical regions.

• Cimex Hemipterus, this is the tropical bed bug. It is commonly located in warmer temperatures. It is a sub form of the other in which the bed bugs have adapted to the warmer temperatures. This tropical form of bed bug is found throughout areas such as in the tropical climates. They are found in Africa, Asia and throughout North and South America, in the tropical regions in these areas. This particular bed bug is only found in the Florida region of the United States.

Just because you live in one of these areas does not mean that you have to have bed bugs in your homes. As you will see later on in our ebook, there are things that you can do to prevent them from getting into and infesting your home and property.

Likewise, this does not mean that if you do not live in one of these areas mentioned that you can not have bed bugs in your home. It is very common that bed bugs will spread from one location that is infested to another that is not by several means.

They can easily move from one location to the next just as you would. They move from one place to the next through transportation means that you use.

For example, if you visit Florida this summer for a wonderful vacation, you could potentially bring the bed bugs home with you in your luggage, on your person or in your clothing and bedding products. They can survive a good amount of time without feeding so you may not even notice them on your clothing when you get home.

What is important to know is that the bed bug truly can move from one location to the next without being noticed. As we talked about before, the bed bug is a very small insect and one that is likely to go unnoticed. It can do this easily because it is so small and flat. It can hide in the small cracks and crevices throughout your clothing or luggage.

A tropical bed bug from Florida probably can breed in other areas of the country, depending on the climate and the warmth of that location. So, even if you do not live in one of these areas in which bed bugs are commonly found, that is not to say that you can not bring them back to your home from them.