Bed bugs are small and flat, making it difficult to pick them up and squish them, and they are even more difficult to squish if they haven’t eaten. This is because their exoskeletons act as a kind of protection for them, but do bed bugs squish easily?
Even with their exoskeletons, squishing them isn’t tough; once you can pick them up with a pinch, you’ll be able to squash them easily.
Adult bed bugs are the most difficult to squish; younger bed bugs (nymphs) are easier to squish since their exoskeletons have not yet reached the final stage of development. But, in all cases, a bed bug that has recently been fed is the easiest to squish.
After they feed, they inflate to three times their original size, and their stomachs become softer, making them easy to rupture even with the pressure that would not have had much effect on them previously.
I Squished a Bed Bug and Blood Came Out
When you squish a bed bug that hasn’t eaten in a while, its skin will tear, causing it to exude a dark liquid. This dark liquid is blood or feces that has been digested over time; it should be dark red or near black, with a rusty odor emanating from the blood.
If you squish a bed bug that has just eaten, you will make an even bigger mess because the blood it just ate will spill all over your fingers. This blood will be bright red and leave a larger stain than a bed bug that hasn’t eaten. The little black bugs that smell when squished will also smell like blood, which is what it is.
Bugs filled with blood are usually ones that have just fed and will have fresh blood that smells like rust and sugar, but a bug that has fed and the blood has since digested will have a musty stench, similar to laundry that has been left in the washing machine for too long. This answers the question, Why do bed bugs smell when squished?
How Hard Are Bed Bug Shells
Young bed bugs that have not yet reached adulthood will not have hard shells because their bodies have not fully developed. However, their shells will be hard enough to serve their purpose until they mature and shed their shells for harder shells. Younger, unfed bed bugs will be easier to squish because their shells have not matured.
Adult bed bugs can still be squished, but you’ll need to use more power. Bed bug shells are designed to be strong and rigid because they are exoskeletons that protect and shape their inner bodies. However, while their shells are strong and capable of protecting them, there is a limit to what they can withstand.
When a human tries to squish a bed bug between their fingers, the pressure applied destroys the bug’s shell and kills it. A bed bug will pop under that kind of pressure.
Will Bed Bugs Pop When Squeezed
Bed bugs will burst when crushed, especially if you squish one that has recently fed. Their delicate bodies, which can readily be squashed, lie beneath their skeletons. When they feed, they can grow up to three times their original size, and their lower backs stretch and cone out of their shells, rendering their shells useless.
That’s why they’re so easy to kill after a meal. If you press that spot first, the blood will spill all over your fingers and make a mess. Unfed bed bugs will still pop, but not as much as those who have eaten, and they will not make as much of a mess.
Will They Bleed When Squeezed
Bed bugs do not have blood; the liquid you see when you squish them is digested; they only consume and excrete blood. When you squish them, you will tease the blood they have stored inside themselves, which can be fresh or in the digestion process.
They will still poop blood when fully digested. So, in response to the query, they do bleed, but not their blood.
Dealing With crushed bed bug stains
If you find a crushed bed bug stain on your sheets or clothing, don’t panic. There are a few simple steps you can take to remove the stain and get your fabric looking clean and new again.
- First, try to scrape off as much of the stain as possible with a dull knife or a credit card.
- Then, soak the stained area in cold water for at least 30 minutes. You can also add a bit of dish soap or laundry detergent to help break down the stain.
- Once the stain has been soaked, you can wash it in your washing machine as usual. If the stain is still visible after washing, you may need to repeat the soaking and scrubbing process before laundering again.
With a little elbow grease, that pesky bed bug stain will be gone in no time!
Can You Kill Bed Bugs By Squishing Them With Your Fingers
You can kill bed bugs with your fingers. Bed bugs have exoskeletons to protect them from squishing, but those exoskeletons are not built to defend against the force you can produce with your hand. Their shells will be crushed, and the bed bugs will pop. Adult bugs will require the most pressure to pop, while younger bugs that have not reached their full potential will be easier to break.
Should You Be Popping Bed Bugs?
Killing a bed bug by squishing it isn’t worth the mess; instead, opt for easier and cleaner techniques to get rid of them. Even if you don’t want to hire a pest control company, there are other chemicals you can use to kill bed bugs on contact, and many of them at once. Also, if you have an infestation on your hands, will you keep squishing them until they’re all dead? It’s exhausting just thinking about it.
Will bed bugs Die When Squished
Bed bugs can die from squeezing depending on the amount of pressure used. It may be simple to squash them, but those insects can withstand the most extreme conditions.
A bed bug with a ruptured stomach can still crawl away and live. They must be squished hard for a few seconds to kill them completely. Smashing them with a hard surface will instantly kill them.
do bed bugs have a smell when you kill them
A recently killed bed bug can leave behind a smell. There are three major factors that contribute to the smell that emanates from a bed bug’s corpse. Each of these can produce a stink that needs to be cleaned up.
- Pheromones – Like many insects, bed bugs rely heavily on the use of pheromones to communicate with one another. These pheromones will have a mild scent that isn’t overly offensive to humans. If enough bed bugs have been killed, it can start to become noticeable, especially if the area hasn’t been cleaned.
- Human Blood – After feeding, a bed bug’s stomach will be full of its host’s blood. If bed bugs are being squished, smashed, or popped, then the blood of their host can be smeared across any surface they were killed on. What’s left behind is a residue that will produce an offensive smell.
- Bed Bug Feces – A bed bug that hasn’t eaten in a while will be smaller and flatter. If you squish a flat bed bug and still get a red pasty goo that resembles black blood, then you’ve squished out their feces. This will leave an odor behind. What a bed bug’s poop looks like is distinctive and often used for diagnosing infestation.
Conclusion
The only way to be sure that you are rid of bed bugs is to kill them. To kill them, many opt for squeezing them. However, many wonder if the job is done since there might be no blood.
Bed bugs will only bleed if they have been freshly fed. On the other hand, squishing them is not the best course of action to take against them; squishing them will only leave a nasty mess, and you will tire out quickly in your quest to eradicate them, so seek a cleaner and safer alternative.