In the previous blog post, we described how to identify a bed bug and discussed 3 other bugs that often get mistaken for bed bugs: spider beetles, wood ticks, and carpet beetles. In this follow-up post, let’s take a look at three more bugs that resemble the dreaded bed bug and learn how to tell them apart. Here is a quick recap of how to identify bed bugs:
Bed bugs
- Oval shaped body, typically 4-5 mm in length
- Brownish-red
- Tiny colored hairs give them a striped appearance
- 6 legs, no wings
- Mostly found in bedding, mattresses, or near bedroom furniture
- Feed on blood, and bites are usually found in clusters
Fleas
- Narrow oval shaped body, 1.5-3.3 mm long
- Appear flat in the vertical plane
- Black to reddish brown
- Long, powerful back legs
- Will bite humans, but prefer animal hosts
- Do not fly, but are great jumpers
- Mostly found in shady places with lots of vegetation
Booklice
- Elongated shape and pronounced head, 1-1.5 mm long
- Translucent white, gray, or light brown coloring can be mistaken for bed bug nymphs
- Feed on fungi, mold, insect fragments, etc.
- Do not bite humans
- Found in moist places like kitchens and bathrooms, under wallpaper, and in furniture
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Book_louse_02.JPG
Cockroach Nymphs
- Small head with flat, cylinder shaped body, 4-5 mm in length
- Reddish-brown color
- Two cerci (appendages) at their rear end
- Do not feed on blood; omnivores
- Live near food sources where it is dark, warm, and moist
Many of these imposters look very similar, so if you need help identifying the pest that you are dealing with or getting rid of bed bugs, give Six Brothers Pest Control a call. We are your local bed bug control specialists and can help keep your home and family safe and pest-free.
