A bedbug is a small insect that has been known to cause great nuisance by invading people’s homes and especially their bedrooms to cause sleepless nights. These are tiny blood-sucking creatures. They are small in size, they are red-brown in color and are usually found in mattress furniture and cracks on the wall.
But nonetheless, bedbugs are not the only small bugs that are found by people of the world. Other insects are equally similar to bed bugs and therefore, one may find it difficult to identify them. This article aims at outlining some of those bugs that closely resemble bed bugs and how one can distinguish them.
1. Bat Bugs
Another species of bugs resembles it very much and belongs to the close relatives of bedbugs, namely bat bugs. Both are flat in shape, small and of reddish-brown color. The only distinction between bat bugs and bedbugs, therefore, is the territory on which it is found. As the name implies, these bugs feed on bats and their habitation places include places such as attic or even caves. If there have been bats roosting in or near your home there could be bat bugs present as well. But if you don’t see those flying mammals swooping around you the insects in question are more than likely bedbugs. One has to differentiate between the two in another way and this can only be done by studying them. Bat bugs have an elongated thorax which has three long hairs behind the head while bedbugs have short hairs. However, this difference is as a rule slight, and requires for its appreciation a lens of a rather high magnifying power of a microscope.
2. Carpet Beetles
Other insects that resemble bed bugs are carpet beetles, especially at the larval stage of their development. Adult carpet beetles actually are much different, but their larvae resemble bed bugs. These larvae are small, oval shaped however not comparable to bedbugs they are hairy and faster moving compared to bedbugs. While Carpet beetles do not bite like the bed bugs, their hairs are known to cause skin rashes and allergies to some persons. They prefer to feed on natural fibers and for this reason, they are common in items such as carpets, clothes or furniture. If you are experiencing this situation with signs of small bugs apparent and some minor or major damage to carpets or clothes, then it may be time to worry about carpet beetles not bed bugs.
3. Fleas
There are other bugs that are similar in appearance with bed bugs among them being Fleas. Both the moths are quite small, almost of a similar size and color which is brown and it’s not easy to see them. However there are distinctions that need to be made. Thus, fleas possess long and powerful legs and they can jump whereas bed bugs crawl sluggishly. The fleas mainly reside on animals such as dogs and cats and they bite not only the animals but also the persons.If your pet has rashes or more frequent licking of their skin or if you see small itchy bites on your skin then you may have fleas. Flea bites occur mostly around the areas of the lower extremities, for instance around the ankle while bed bug bites can be anywhere in the body.
4. Spider Beetles
Spider beetles look almost like bedbugs at the initial glance and they belong to the same family. They also have sphere shaped bodies and can be reddish-brown just as the bedbugs are.Spider beetles are similar in appearance to grain beetles however, they are slightly larger, possess longer legs and antennae, thus resembling spiders and are called so.The spider beetles do not sting or in any way harm people,but they are known to feed on such stored products as grains or cereals.
If you spot them crawling around in the kitchen or pantry, then look for symptoms of infestations in your stored food. Like bed bugs, scabies are most active at night and hence people often get them confused.
5. Booklice
Booklice can be described as small insects, which may be confused with bed bugs mainly because of their size and appearance.However, booklice are much smaller and they are not really the same color as mosquitoes, preferably being white or almost white or even pale brown.
Although these creatures do no harm to man and are not capable of biting; they are most commonly found in areas where there is moisture such as the bathroom or the basement, and they mainly feed on mold and fungus. Despite their close relationship with insects, bed bugs reside in cracks and crevices near beds while booklice are found in moist areas or in old books and papers thus the name booklice.
Conclusion
Even though bedbugs can present a problem, a proper identification of the certain bug is crucial before undertaking any action. There are other bugs that appear like bed bugs but the difference is in their behavior and environment.The common impostor of bedbugs are Bat bugs, carpet beetles, fleas, spider beetles and booklice. If you get to differentiate between these bugs then you’ll know how to go about it in case you’re infested. If you are unclear as to what they are or what can be done to remove them then contacting a pest control service is always advisable
