Identifying Bed Bugs: How To Tell Them Apart From Other Pests

Bed bugs are a problem all over the country, and Maryland is no exception. Baltimore was part of a list of the top 50 most bed bug infested cities, and experts with the University of Maryland have noted the rise in bed bug infestations in the state. Just the thought of sharing a bed with these little creatures is enough to make most people panic.

If you find a pest and suspect that it is a bed bug, you don’t need to worry just yet. There are a number of pests that are commonly confused for bed bugs, and they require their own unique treatment plan. Here’s how to identify bed bugs so that you can tell the difference.

Carpet Beetles

Carpet beetles look like infestation bed bugs in many ways, especially when they are on your furniture. They are round like bed bugs, are similar in color to bed bugs, and can cause an allergic reaction that is often mistaken for bites. However, the main difference is that carpet beetles have wings that are visible to the naked eye.

Roaches

Most people know what mature cockroaches look like. However, the nymphs are another story; while they are white when they first hatch in your furniture, they soon take on a reddish brown color that is similar to that of a bed bug. Like immature bed bugs, they enjoy hiding in cracks and crevices in order to stay out of sight, and they also tend to come out at night.

However, their shape is different; bed bugs have more of an oval shape while cockroach nymphs look a bit like a cylinder. Cockroach nymphs tend to be longer than bed bugs as well.

Bat Bugs

Bat bugs and bed bugs look a lot alike. Most people will not be able to tell them apart from one another. Of course, bed bugs tend to bite human skin while bat bugs gravitate toward bats. Bat bugs also have longer dark hair on their body, but that difference is almost impossible to see without a microscope.

If you suspect that your property has hiding places with a bat problem, or if you had one in the past, you may be dealing with these little pests instead of bed bugs. However, keep in mind that many people never see bats in their home. They favor dark, quiet areas of the structure, like the attic and basement. If you aren’t sure what you are dealing with, have Barefoot Pest Control come out to do an inspection.

Fleas

Because both bed bugs and fleas bite, they are commonly confused for one another. If you notice bites popping up on a consistent basis, you can feel fairly confident that you have one or the other. The main difference between the two is that bed bugs crawl while fleas jump and you should be able to see them without a magnifying glass. Fleas are also the smaller of the two pests.

If you suspect that you have a bed bug infestation in your mattress, boxsprings, bed sheets or carpet, you may not be sure what to do next. The first step is to determine whether or not you truly have bed bugs and not some other pest. Barefoot Pest Control is happy to help you identify the pest in question and set up a personalized treatment plan to help you eradicate your issue.