Many bugs look like bed bugs and are not; they can be confused with other pests. If you want to know if you have a bed bug infestation, you must identify real bed bugs.
These pests have reddish-brown color, their oval body, and an apple seed’s size. Some insects look similar, and people tend to confuse them. Below you can learn more about insects that are similar to bed bugs and how to identify them.
What Are Bed Bugs?
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Bed bugs are insects that are small in size and are light brown to reddish-brown. Their body is oval, and they feed on the blood of humans and animals. They are very nasty insects and can be a problem if an infestation occurs in your home.
They feed on blood and do so mainly at night, leaving red bites and can be itchy. Adult bed bugs are flat and the size of an apple seed; when they feed, they swell, and their body turns reddish.
To feed, they pierce the skin so that they can extract blood through their elongated beak. Bed bugs do not fly but can move quickly on floors, walls, and ceilings.
As they are small insects, they can easily hide in crevices or holes and lay their eggs. They always look for comfortable places to reach their victim and feed.
Bed bugs can enter your luggage, mattresses, furniture, clothing, and bedding, etc.
Six Bugs That Are Commonly Mistaken For Bed Bugs
Cockroach nymphs
The lifecycle of cockroaches begins with an egg; when the egg hatches, the cockroach is also called a nymph. These nymphs or baby cockroaches are bright white and begin to darken and harden within hours.
Lack of food can affect the growth of these nymphs in their first 10 hours. German cockroach nymphs can be less than 3mm long when hatched. When they begin to darken, they are a uniform dark color and have a patch of light on the back.
These pests can be mistaken for bed bugs, especially when you see them in cracks or crevices that are not dark.
Carpet beetles
Other bed bugs that look like bed bugs are carpet beetles. They can be confused by their oval body, but you will see that they are different if you inspect them well. They have a black and white pattern with red or orange scales.
Carpet beetle heads are small, and their heads are usually hidden when looking up. They also have a short antenna and are approximately 2 to 3.8 mm long; adult carpet beetles can fly.
These pests can cause dermatitis in humans due to an allergic reaction. Carpet beetles can appear on flowers and sometimes carpets, but you won’t see them on beds.
They can enter your house if you bring fresh-cut flowers; they can easily identify what insects you have in your home.
Booklice
They are called booklice and differ from common bed bugs by their shape as they are thinner and longer. Their antennae are also thin and long. These pests can measure between 1 and 6 mm in length; these insects’ body is softer than bed bugs.
By having their bodies softer, they are easier to kill; they are light brown or creamy yellow, makings them distinctive. Their bodies and heads are segmented; you can find booklice that have wings and can fly.
These pests do not bite, but they tend to combine with dust when they die and aggravate asthma problems. You can find these insects near your bed; you can also see them in humid spaces.
Spider beetles
These insects are very similar to common bed bugs in their round and oval shape. They are approximately 1 to 5mm in length, but you will see that they are different from bed bugs if you look closely.
Spider beetles have a brownish-yellow color that is pale; they can also be reddish-brown or almost black. Its body has hairs, and its head is directly connected to its body.
Like booklice, some species of these spider beetle insects can fly and also do not bite. These insects hang out in wooden structures, which is where they can find food. If a facility is not well maintained, you can suffer from an infestation of these pests in your home.
Spider beetles do not pose a health risk like bed bugs.
Bat insects
Bed bugs that look like bed bugs also include bat insects. They are very similar to common bed bugs than other insects, the difference being the longer hairs on the head in bats.
They are brown like bed bugs, and their bodies are oval in size to an apple seed when they are adults. Although they have pads on their wings, bats cannot fly. You may not see these insects in your bedroom or near this area.
These insects tend to sting bats, hence their name, and tend to live in caves where there are bats frequently.
Swallow insects
Physical characteristics are similar, but their antennae can distinguish bed bugs. These pests are grayish-brown in color, and this also differentiates them from common reddish-brown bugs.
It is not common for you to find these insects in your home because they are usually found in barn swallows’ nests. You can also see them on the cliffs. There are times when they can easily invade humans’ structures, and these pests if they can bite people.
These pests are also called swallow bugs to breed in the summer and early fall when the birds leave. They have a unique ability because they can survive up to 3 years without eating. Bites from these insects can cause mild to severe reactions in humans.
How To Identify Bed Bugs From Other Pests?
If you want to identify bed bugs that look like bed bugs, you must first know what common bed bugs look like. Bed bugs are tiny creatures that are difficult to see and can move quickly. Identifying them from the other pests can save you money and time.
Bed bugs look like the following:
• They are reddish-brown, depending on the lighting, they may appear lighter or darker.
• Its size is small as the seeds of an apple.
• Its body is oval and flat.
• They can measure between 4 to 5 mm in diameter.
• They have six legs and two antennas.
• They are segmented and have hairs that make them look striped.
