I found this bug crawling on my blanket this morning and trapped it with a piece of tape. 6 legged very small... When I pricked it with a needle blood popped out. I'm afraid I have a bed bug ...any incite would be appreciated. I live in Milwaukee WI.
This does indeed appear to be a bed bug -
see http://www2.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef636.asp for some detailed information.
Thank you for your reply. Is there anyway to tell if it's a female or a male? I'm hoping it didn't lay eggs. I'm assuming I picked it up while staying at a friend's house? What is the best course of action to take to hopefully contain this... I've already cleaned and dried all clothes and bedding on high in the dryer. Vacuumed thoroughly. Thrown out pillows. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks
I don't believe that it is possible to determine the sex of your specimen from the image provided, as (1) it may not be an adult, and (2) its abdomen appears distended from feeding. In unfed adults, the abdomen of the male appears more pointed than that of the female - see http://www.pestworld.org/all-things-bed-bugs/bed-bug-photos/bed-bugs,-male,-female,-eggs/ where the male is on the left.
Also, the link I provided appears to provide about all the control information that I can think of...
