Several days ago, our company president Michael allowed a live bed bug to feed on his arm.  Here is the photo.  This bed bug is actually in the process of feeding.  The bright red color you see is not the color of the bug but of fresh blood. To see the same bed bug and what it looked like prior to feeding, see this post.

In the before photo you will see a black colored mass in the middle of the bed bug’s abdomen. That is the previously digested blood meal.  It will stay there until the bed bug extracts fresh blood and pushes the old blood out.  If you look closely or right click on the picture above and enlarge it, you can actually see this “bed bug poo” – or the last meal- being dropped onto Michael’s arm as the new blood pushes it to the back of the abdomen and then out of the body.

BLEGH.

It is highly disturbing to me to think of this happening to anyone while they sleep. The only comforting fact I can offer to anyone living with bed bugs is that they are NOT transmitters of disease and they are not known to be harmful.  Bed bugs do not carry or spread disease like mosquitoes for example.  Bed bugs may feed on you every single night and you are not likely to become physically ill. The greatest physical effect we see is secondary infection from scratching the red bumps that bed bugs leave behind. Other than that, the trauma people experience with bed bug infestation is more mental and emotional than anything else.

Still have questions? Here are some great informative bed bug articles:

Bed Bug FAQ
Apartment Bed Bug Control
Bed Bug FAQ
Signs of Bed Bug Infestation
How To Get Ridof Bed Bugs (in 5 steps)
Bed Bug Mattress Covers
How to Avoid Hotel Bed Bugs
Pesticide-Free Bed Bug Control

Also, check out our bed bug control products and ready-to-use  bed bug kits.