And they lay hundreds of eggs on a one-time-big-time basis.
Eliminating them is not easy, especially because there are a handful of other bugs that look like them.
In this post, we will cover some of the bugs that look like bed bugs.
To cover some of that, here are some facts about bed bugs that you should know about.
10 bugs that look like bed bugs
1.
Their natural niche would be caves or anywhere where bats are regularly seen.
They have reddish-brown to black bodies and yellow or pale brown spots and legs.
They are 0.5-1.5 inches in size and sports an oval shape.
They have slender and long antennae and their whole body is covered with bristled hairs.
Like roach nymphs, they are found in unsanitary places and they can make an infestation.
They are also found where a stable source of food is present or around wood structures.
Luckily, spider beetles do not bite.
Bed bug vsBooklice
These pale-bodied, almost translucent bugs resemble termites more than bed bugs.
They are 0.5 inches in size with a long, flat body shape.
In some instances, booklice could fly too, a characteristic that bed bugs do not have.
Related:13+ Different Types Of Termites With Pictures: Identification Guide
4.
Cockroach nymphs thrive in moist and dark places like in your bathroom, kitchen, attic, and basements.
They are fast runners, chewing on anything they can munch from papers to leftover foods.
They do bite but in very, very rare instances.
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5.
It has an oval shape at 1/8 inches in length.
They can be transported inside your home when you are putting in cut flowers from the garden.
Unlike bed bugs, they can fly but only during the daytime.
They do not bite but they may cause asthma attacks or dermatitis.
Bed bugs vsFleas
In terms of color, the reddish-brown fleas indeed have a striking resemblance with bed bugs.
They have a flat and oval body and overall, the entire body is segmented.
Fleas leech on animals, brought indoors by pets.
It is good enough that they do not fly because they bite and their bite is very itchy.
Related:Plants that repel fleas
7.
Bed bugs vsTicks
Aside from being really small like bed bugs ticks are also biters/bloodsuckers like bed bugs.
They have a segmented body composed of an oval shaped-body and a smaller head.
When they are unfed, their body becomes flat.
They are small, not half an inch at maximum.
While ticks have eight legs, bed bugs have six.
They may attach to you in your casual walks or when your pets go outdoors.
Ticks can be a serious problem when female ticks start to lay eggs in your home.
Bed bugs vsSwallow Bugs
This one is related to bed bugs.
They get their name for leeching on swallows who might be nesting on your home.
When swallow hosts are not around, they would bite on any probable host including humans.
They aresimilar to bed bugsin terms of their reddish-brown and dark brown color.
Although smaller insize than bed bugs, they have longer and hairier legs and antennae.
Like all the other bloodsucking insects featured here, their bodies become flat when they are underfed.
Swallow bugs like their swallow hosts are generally migratory.
Unlike ticks and bed bugs, head lice feed on specific hosts making them non-transferable.
They are 1/8inch in size, an elongated but flat body, and small legs.
Head lice cannot fly or jump and they usually niche in the head area and by the ears.
Related:Does Hair Dye Kill Lice?
Most mite species live on animals but the rest are practically everywhere and fed on everything.
They can be found in decaying organic matter.
Related:12 Bugs That Look Like Fleas And Jump
11.
Tropical bed bugs (Cimex hemipterus) vs bed bugs.
This means that it can be difficult to control these pests without using a specialized treatment plan.
They tend to inhabit mattresses, couches, and beds that are located near areas of high humidity.
One of the most obvious differences between tropical bed bugs and common bed bugs is their size.
Pirate bugs (nymph) vs bed bugs.
For starters, pirate bug nymphs (the immature stage) are tinyusually less than 2mm in length.
In comparison, bed bug nymphs can be up to 5mm in length when fully grown.
Unlike bed bugs, pirate bugs do not feed on blood.
However, they do feed on other soft-bodied insects such as aphids and mites.
Pirate bugs are found mainly in tropical regions, while bed bugs are far more widespread.
True bed bugs, on the other hand, can cause a variety of health issues and infestations.
German cockroach nymph vs bed bugs.
Both species feed on organic material such as food scraps and dead skin flakes.
German cockroach nymphs (Blattella germanica) are pests that can be mistaken for bed bugs.
While they share a similar size and shape, German cockroach nymphs differ in several ways from bed bugs.
Additionally, German cockroach nymphs are usually brown or black in color, while bed bugs are usually reddish-brown.
In terms of behavior and habits, the two pests differ significantly.
They typically feed on crumbs, food scraps, and other organic matter.
Flour beetles vs bed bugs.
Both flour beetles and bed bugs belong to the order of insects known as Hemiptera.
Both are found in homes, warehouses and other human-associated habitats.
They can survive without food for long periods of time, and both feed on organic matter.
Both are pests that invade human dwellings, but there are some key differences between them.
Flour beetles, also known as grain weevils, feed primarily on stored grains and cereals.
They dont bite humans or pets and are generally considered a nuisance pest.
Bed bugs, however, feed exclusively on blood.
They can bite humans and pets, leaving red, itchy welts.
Flour beetles are small and oval-shaped.
They can range in color from reddish-brown to black.
Bed bugs are also oval-shaped but much flatter than flour beetles.
They are light brown or tan in color and have six legs.
Another difference between flour beetles and bed bugs is where theyre found.
Bird mites vs bed bugs.
They are usually brown or gray in color and measure 1-2 mm in length.
Bed bugs, on the other hand, are reddish-brown insects that feed exclusively on human blood.
They typically reside within mattresses, furniture, baseboards, and other places around the home.
The primary difference between these two pests is the jot down of food they feed on.
Bird mites primarily feed on birds, while bed bugs exclusively feed on humans.
As such, here are some FAQs about bugs that look like bed bugs.
What can be mistaken for bed bug bites?
When unfed, bed bugs will be too small and flat to even be visible with the naked eye.
Baby bed bugs are more minute and ants will be easier to spot in your bed.
They are pale yellow, almost translucent.
They only grow to the size of an apple seed in adulthood.
What is biting me at night not bed bugs?
The first step is to apply first aid by stopping them from spreading.
It might also be best to just let go of unneeded furniture.
The next intervention is through heating.
Steaming cracks and crevices is also a part of this intervention.
After heating, bring on some insecticides.
you could use boric acid, diatomaceous earth, or silica gel to kill off the bed bugs.
These substances shrink the bugs exoskeleton so apply them generously in small cracks, holes, and crevices.
If none of these does the trick, you should start enlisting some professional help.
