Bugs That Look Like Bed Bugs

If it has wings or more than six legs, it is not a bed bug.

Bed bugs have flattened bodies and rusty brown coloration (less so in younger nymphs). They have thin 4-segmented antennae and an 11-segmented abdomen. The legs are short (6 of them) and the wings are reduced, making it impossible for it to fly.

The following 9 insects are often mistaken for bedbugs:

• Bat bugs
• Spider beetles
• Baby cockroaches (cockroach nymphs)
• Woodlouse
• Kissing bugs
• Drugstore beetles
• Carpet beetles
• Ticks & booklice/barklice
• Fleas, head lice & mites

Their appearance and risks differ. The problem is that they're all difficult to eliminate.

Whether they're bed bugs or not, the insects have probably penetrated your mattress (among other things, including your clothes).

Replace your mattress as soon as possible (as a precautionary measure) with a safe and high-quality mattress like the Saatva Classic.

Ensure your mattress is zippered in a waterproof encasement. Make sure you wash and dry all your clothes at the hottest temperature possible.

The Saatva Classic provides amazing airflow which is great to keep bed bugs and other pests away. It is incredibly comfortable and comes with extremely friendly policies!

Replace your mattress immediately.

If your mattress is infested, invest in a high-quality mattress with incredible airflow like the Saatva Classic.

Finding and eliminating bed bugs is a notoriously difficult task.

The damage these can cause ranges from itchy bites to psychological distress. Their bites can cause a variety of reactions, from no physical evidence to severe allergic reactions.

You should replace your mattress if it is infested with bed bugs. Invest in a high-quality mattress with incredible airflow like the Saatva Classic. It is an extremely durable and comfortable mattress that is designed to keep bed bugs away!

Bat bugs are similar to bed bugs in many ways.

They are close relatives of bat bugs, but they only eat bat blood.

Bat bugs most often establish colonies in attics, behind walls, and inside chimneys, where bats roost, and rarely move into human living areas.

Similar to bed bugs, bat bugs have an oval body and a short, broad head.

The main difference between these two look-alikes is that bat bugs have longer (and more) hairs on their thorax.

Spider beetles are scavengers that can be found feeding on wool, hair, fabrics, food products, and animal droppings.

Their bodies are shiny, rounded, and range in color from dark reddish brown to black.

Spider beetles have small, globular abdomens, which are smaller than their legs and antennae.

Cockroaches are similar to bed bugs in size and appearance but differ in shape and antennae length.

They tend to hide in dark, enclosed spaces near food and water, and do not congregate in bed bugs' nests.

The woodlice can be found in your garden rather than in your house - they live under rocks and stones in cold, dark soil.

The tendency to maintain a dry, warm indoor environment makes it difficult for woodlice to survive indoors since they thrive in moist conditions.

Some woodlice, however, can find refuge indoors under certain conditions - although you're more likely to find them in the house by accident. There may be an underlying damp problem in your home if they seem to be taking root.

The woodlice are harmless and pose no health threats. Despite their appearance, woodlice do not adversely affect wooden upholstery.

Triatomine bugs (also known as kissing bugs) can live indoors, in cracks and holes of substandard housing, or outdoors in a wide variety of settings.

Triatomines feed on the blood of mammals, birds, and reptiles at night. There are many different environments in which triatomine bugs live. They are generally found in close proximity to an animal that they can feed on, known as a blood host.

Some people can develop allergic reactions to the saliva of certain types of triatomines.

The symptoms of an allergic reaction can include severe redness, itching, swelling, welts, hives, or, rarely, anaphylactic shock.

Drugstore beetles live inside food stored in unsecured containers as well as other items.

The kitchen and pantry are common targets, especially those with spills and crumbs.

Drugstore beetles can survive for weeks without food.

Drugstore beetles are named after the insect that infests items previously found in drugstores.

In addition to foods and other materials, they are reported to consume some prescription drugs in drugstores.

They can even bore through aluminum foil, so prevention is difficult.

A major concern with drugstore beetles is contamination of the products they infest.

Pest larvae cause the most damage to products, as they live, eat, and excrete waste within them.

Adult carpet beetles have large, oval-shaped bodies and small heads, and can measure between 2 and 5 millimeters in length.

Usually seen near windowsills or on carpets, they feed on flowers and plants.

The abdomen of booklice is marked with white markings, while the rest of their bodies are translucent.

Unlike bed bugs, booklice do not bite or feed on the blood of humans or animals. They prefer damp and warm places.

The tick is an arachnid, unlike bed bugs, which have six legs instead of eight.

Unlike bed bugs, ticks do not have antennae on their heads.

Bacteria, parasites, and viruses can be transmitted through tick bites, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

The head lice only affect people and are gray in color.

Treatment is mandatory to prevent lice from feeding on your blood.

The head lice usually gather behind the ears and at the lower back of the head.

Fleas are another bed bug impostor.

With their narrow bodies, spiny legs, and backward-pointing bristles, fleas can move quickly through fur, woven fabrics, and hair.

They are excellent jumpers due to their hind legs.

Fleas feed on cats, dogs, mice, birds, people, and many other warm-blooded animals.

Cats and dogs provide a feast for fleas and are the main way fleas enter homes.

Flea larvae may be found in floor cracks, carpets, mattresses, or pet beds. They especially like places where they can feed on food, animal waste, and adult flea feces.

Although rare, fleas can transmit diseases such as typhus and plague.

Flea saliva can also cause severe allergic reactions in some people and pets.

There are thousands of species of mites, many of which live on animals.

The majority of mites are very small. Normally, they are less than 2 mm long, have eight legs, and have little or no segmentation.

Mites live a free-range lifestyle. Many of them consume decaying organic matter, but others eat insects and other mites. The majority of mite species inhabit domestic animals' ear canals, lungs, intestines, and bladders.

Several viruses and rickettsial diseases are transmitted by mites.

Mites that burrow into the skin can cause scabies, an intensely itchy skin condition that is contagious.