The majority of people can tell the difference between a hoverfly and a bee, or a mosquito and a housefly. Apart from that, it’s fair to say that the vast majority have no idea what bed bugs are.
So, what happens if you try to figure out the bug bit you the night before? Continue reading to learn how to spot bed bugs and what bugs are mistaken for them.
Just because you think you’ve been bitten by bed bugs doesn’t mean you really have them!
4 Bugs That Are Usually Mistaken For Bed Bugs
Yes, you have red itchy welts on your skin, and you’ve seen tiny red-brown bugs crawling over your mattress. Are you certain it’s bed bugs, though? Bed bugs are easily confused with a number of other insects.
To create an effective action plan, you must first determine which type of bug you are dealing with. You don’t want to spend money on an exterminator, but it’s something you can easily deal with.
So, how can you tell if the tiny bugs in your bed aren’t bed bugs? To answer this, you must first have a visual image of bed bugs!
How do bed bugs look like?
Bed bugs are tiny, flattened reddish-brown bugs that only feed on blood. While bed bugs tend to feed on humans, they will also feed on warm-blooded animals such as dogs and cats.
The larvae of bed bugs are yellowish-white in color and slightly smaller than the adults. They turn a deep or dark red color after feeding on blood. Their bodies turn glassy and almost translucent when they don’t have enough blood.
Bed bugs are about the size of sesame seeds as adults. The larvae of bed bugs are peach-white and about the size of a pinhead. Bed bugs, unlike fleas, cannot hop or jump, but they can quickly crawl over floors, walls, and other surfaces.”
With that in mind, let’s look at some of the bugs that are frequently mistaken for bed bugs.
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What insects are mistaken for bedbugs?
Bat Bugs
Aside from sharing a name, the bodies of bat bugs resemble those of bed bugs more than any other insect. The length of the hedge hair under its head is the only noticeable difference between them. The fur of a bat bug is much longer and thicker than that of a bed bug.
Bat bugs, according to reports, are the most often confused bugs with bed bugs. There isn’t much of a difference in their coloring texture aside from the dark reddish hue. They both have a body that is oval in shape.
Bat bugs are difficult to detect since they are smaller than bed bugs. They can only be identified by a trained eye. Bat bugs, as the name indicates, feed on bat meat. Don’t rejoice just yet, because bat bugs will happily feast on human blood in the absence of the host.
This is why if you are bitten by a bat bug, you might mistakenly believe you have been bitten by a bed bug.
Fleas
The flea’s body is brownish-red in colour, similar to bed bugs. They have an oval-shaped body that resembles that of a bed bug, but they are much smaller. Fleas have a flat body and prefer to crawl on the floor, while bed bugs have a flat-like shape and are skinnier. They normally attack their prey by jumping onto it from a high vantage point.
Fleas have the advantage of not preferring human blood as a meal. They are more interested in animals; for whatever reason, they prefer dogs, cats, and cow’s blood; fleas are regarded as a formidable foe because they are equally irritating.
They pass rapidly and vanish as soon as they are heard. Fleas like dark places and will sometimes hop onto your pets to gain entry to your house.
Booklice
Because of their creamy yellow appearance, booklice are easy to distinguish from other bugs that are mistaken for bed bugs. In certain respects, these bugs are similar to termites, but they are much smaller than bed bugs.
Though bed bugs are not dangerous, dead Booklice have been linked to asthma attacks in studies. They can also hide in the seams of a mattress and disperse an infestation easily. They’re also difficult to find.
Ticks
The majority of ticks are brown in colour. Similar to bed bugs, they have a flattened shell. They swell to a round shape as they feast on blood. Animals are preferred hosts for these eight-legged pests. They don’t mind, however, sampling human blood. So don’t be surprised if you get tick bites if you have pets.
Ticks, on the other hand, are highly dangerous. They can transmit a number of diseases, including Ehrlichiosis.
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Frequently Asked Questions
I can’t see any bed bugs, but I’m getting bites; what’s going on?
I don’t have bed bugs, but I do have bites! It’s likely that you have other small bugs in your mattress than bed bugs. Some insect bites, such as fleas and scabies, may appear to be bed bug bites. Checking for symptoms of bed bugs in your home is the easiest way to say whether it’s a bed bug or not. If you don’t see any signs of bed bugs on your bed, it’s possible that you’re being bitten by some mosquito.
What Are These Tiny Bugs That Have Infested My Bed?
The appearance of tiny bugs in your rack does not necessarily suggest that you have bed bugs. Check to see if the bugs have wings and if they are hopping or flying. If that’s the case, you don’t have bed bugs because they can’t move and must cling to the surface by crawling.
Is it possible for carpet beetles to bite humans?
A insect that looks like bed bugs is the black carpet beetle. They can fly and enjoy flowers, and they eat pollen and nectar, unlike bed bugs. They don’t bite, so don’t worry.
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Conclusion
If you just wake up with bites all over your body, don’t leap to the conclusion that you have bed bugs. Look for signs that the bites are coming from a particular insect. Look for obvious items like urine or blood on the bed, as well as whether the bug will hop or run. From there, you’ll be able to find out what steps to take.