The first step in any type of pest management is to positively identify the pest. Bed bugs are similar to many other small insects, which can make them hard to identify to the untrained eye. Bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed. Adult bed bugs are flat, oval, and reddish-brown in color. Juvenile bed bugs can be very small and hard to see. If you think you have found a bed bug, try to catch it on a piece of sticky tape or in a plastic bag, and get it identified by a pest professional (exterminator).